Thames High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 24 months of the Education Review Office and Thames High 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 

Thames High School, located in the Hauraki, provides education for students in Years 9 to 13 from across the Hauraki and Coromandel regions. Kia kōtahi a te piki ake, kia ikeike rawa ki te taumata | We grow together to achieve one’s true potential. Kia mahara o neherā; Kia aratakina āianei; Hei waihanga ā mua | Acknowledge our past; Inspire our present; Transform our future. The school acknowledges Ngāti Māru, who were instrumental in the development of the school’s vision and mission, as mana whenua.

Thames High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• enact a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• ensure all taiohi/students will progress to their highest potential

• ensure everyone feels valued, safe and acknowledged for who they are.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which a focus on developing more effective literacy, and culturally responsive and relational practices is supporting excellent and equitable outcomes.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• close alignment with the findings of the 2021 ERO review and the subsequently developed school’s strategic goals

• pursuing equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners, with a deliberate focus on Māori learners.

The school expects to see excellent and equitable outcomes resulting from:

• culturally responsive curriculum and pedagogy supporting students positive engagement and success in learning

• the development and implementation of effective, cross-curricular literacy practices

• teachers and curriculum leaders identifying and responding to learner strengths, needs and progress, particularly in literacy

• the aspirations of mana whenua continuing to be identified, pursued and reported on.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to pursue excellent and equitable learner outcomes:

• strategic and annual planning that sets out a clear vision for improvement

• a coherent approach to tracking and monitoring student achievement

• professional learning and teacher capability building activities that align with strategic priorities.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• continuing to strengthen teacher capability in effective literacy, and culturally responsive and relational practices

• strengthening curriculum provision in te ao Māori, and including Aotearoa NZ Histories curriculum and Te Mātaiaho in the enacted curriculum

• continuing to strengthen partnership with mana whenua through ‘Te Ao Māori Strategic Ohu’

• implementing a cohesive and coherent schoolwide approach to literacy that is focused on responding to individual learners’ needs.

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

20 October 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