Kokopu School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Kokopu School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Kokopu School, located west of Whangarei, provides education for students in years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is “for all our children to be Inspired, Inquiring, Nurtured, Self-Motivated, Positive, Involved, Respectful, Enthusiastic, Dynamic”.

Kokopu School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• achieving “Amazing and Inspiring” things together

• developing our inspiring teachers

• building an inspirational learning environment.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Kokopu School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of the structured literacy programme in enhancing the academic progress of all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• the school has introduced Structured Literacy as a foundational literacy approach which develops the fundamental aspects of language, like phonics, phonological awareness, and word recognition

• analysis of school reading data supports a structured approach to early literacy

• a consistent approach in the teaching of literacy is valued for the predictable and organised learning experience for all learners.

The school expects to see:

• learners with a strong foundation in literacy who can apply these skills to accurately decode words, understand letter-sound relationships, and apply strategies to comprehend and analyse texts

• increased student achievement in reading for all learners, especially for those with persistent reading difficulties

• teachers from Years 0-8 continuing to develop their literacy teaching expertise to implement literacy approaches which lead to improved outcomes

• teachers to continue to look for ways to ensure engagement and enjoyment in reading.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the effectiveness of the structured literacy programme in enhancing the academic progress of all learners:

• staff share knowledge and best practices refining methods and programmes to serve the diverse student population

• regular assessments and evaluations enable the school to monitor effectiveness and make informed decisions for learning and targeted interventions, including a collective and consistent approach to the teaching of literacy

• effective collaboration and leadership to actively develop, promote and implement the vision and values of the school

• leaders who prioritise and plan for continuous improvement, striving for equitable and outstanding results for all learners.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• implement assessments which measure learner progress across different literacy programmes, including structured literacy

• using assessment information to identify areas of strength and weakness, and make informed decisions about teaching strategies

• strengthening the communication with families about their student’s literacy progress and achievement

• utilising assessments to track student progress, refining teaching methods, and ensuring the structured literacy programmes cater to the diverse needs of their learners.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

28 July 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home