Tangowahine 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 

Tangowahine School is a small rural school in the Kaipara district providing education for students in 
Years 0 to 8. A new principal started at the beginning of Term 4, 2023. The school values of whakamana, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga guide day-to-day operation of the school.

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

• Some students are achieving at curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. 
• Most students need to make accelerated progress to achieve at the expected curriculum levels in mathematics, reading and writing by the end of Year 8. 
• Regular student attendance is below Ministry of Education targets; leaders and teachers track student information and respond in a variety of ways to support improved attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

• School leadership is improvement focused and acts with purpose and urgency to support learner success.
• Leaders actively engage with a range of external support networks to enhance teaching and learning.
• High expectations for learning and behaviour supports student engagement and is leading to improved attendance. 

• External providers support teachers to extend the localised curriculum and broaden student learning experiences; teaching is increasingly meeting students’ needs and interests.
• Teachers support students to understand their progress and to contribute to curriculum development.
• Engagement with parents and whānau is learning-focused and prioritises improving student outcomes. 

• Relationships with whānau and community groups are increasingly collaborative and supportive of learner success. 
• Daily classroom routines and learning expectations are beginning to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 
• Leaders, teachers and the school Board are taking steps to better cater for the identities and cultures of students and whānau.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• improve the attendance, progress, achievement and engagement of all learners 
• align systems and processes for collecting and reporting dependable student progress and achievement information 
• access support to improve the quantity and quality of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in all aspects of teaching and learning 
• continue to build connections with the wider school community, including hapū and iwi, to inform local curriculum development. 

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

Every six months:

• analyse and report student attendance progress and achievement information to the board to inform planning and decision making for teaching and learning
• initiate parent and whānau hui to gather aspirations for a localised curriculum
• formalise regular collaborative discussions with staff to build a strong professional community. 

Annually:

• analyse attendance, progress, achievement, engagement and wellbeing information for all students to inform school practices
• review strategic priorities and related actions to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• set goals and plan professional learning opportunities for staff aligned to school priorities. 

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

• all students achieving at expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 8
• a localised and responsive curriculum that promotes equity and excellence for all students 
• reliable achievement information routinely collected, shared and used to inform decision making for improving student outcomes
• school values embedded as part of a strong and inclusive school culture. 

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 July 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