Oruaiti School

School Evaluation Report 

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Context 

Oruaiti School is in Mangonui in Te Tai Tokerau. It provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school values “caring, confident and responsible life-long learners” underpin the school’s local curriculum.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners are becoming more equitable and excellent.

• The majority of learners are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; there is disparity in boys’ achievement in literacy and for Māori learners in writing.
• Learners experience a positive and caring learning environment which supports their wellbeing.
• Learners with additional needs benefit from specific in-class support; their progress and achievement is regularly monitored against their individual learning goals.
• School attendance does not yet meet the Ministry of Education national targets; leaders and teachers continue to use a range of strategies to improve attendance rates.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders foster a culture committed to sustaining high quality teaching and continuous improvement.

• Effective school leadership sets clear goals and expectations, fosters trust, and a collaborative culture committed to high quality teaching and improvement.
• The school’s strategic plan has a clear line of sight, is meaningful and purposeful and prioritises outcomes for learners.
• Leaders support teachers to continue to develop their capability in mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori and increase the knowledge and confidence of all learners.

Learners experience many curriculum experiences within an inclusive learning environment. 

• Learners participate and learn in positive and affirming environments; relationships are respectful and valued.
• Curriculum planning prioritises literacy and mathematics teaching to effectively support ongoing improvement in learner outcomes.
• Learners experience a curriculum that provides them with authentic and relevant learning opportunities and incorporates the culture and heritage of the local environment.

Key conditions that underpin successful education continue to be strengthened.

• Parents and whānau are provided with several opportunities to participate in their children’s learning which enables them to support their child’s learning pathway.
• The board and principal strategically prioritise and engage well with local kaumatua and the community and seek their knowledge to develop the school’s local curriculum.
• Ongoing professional learning supports leaders and teachers to grow their capability in specific teaching and learning areas; these initiatives are aligned to learner need and school priorities.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• further strengthen the use of assessment information to inform responsive teaching practices and improve achievement outcomes
• strengthen internal evaluation processes to inquire into what is working well, what is not and where to next
• further integrate and strengthen te reo and tikanga Māori across the school and in everyday classroom practices to enhance learners’ language, culture and identity
• continue to implement effective strategies that improve regular attendance rates.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within six months:

• develop a professional development plan focused on improving assessment and responsive teaching practices that will accelerate learner outcomes
• in collaboration with mana whenua, use the Poutama Reo research to inform the continued development of te reo Māori across the school.

Every six months:

• continue to analyse and monitor learner progress, achievement and attendance information to inform next steps in teaching and learning.

Annually:

• evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to improve learning, engagement and attendance and report the outcomes to the board
• review, refine and embed the Māori language programme.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

• increased equity for all learners through the effective use of data to inform teaching and learning
• higher attendance rates
• authentic use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori across the school
• positive working partnership with mana whenua.

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

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

12 December 2024

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