Umawera School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report  

Background 

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and ​Umawera 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 

Umawera School is in an isolated, rural area of the Hokianga, in Te Tai Tokerau. The school caters for year 1 to 6 ākonga who travel from the wider geographical area. Many of the ākonga are of Māori descent and whakapapa to Ngāpuhi. 

The school’s vision and valued outcomes are defined as ‘Kimihia te mātauranga i roto i te mana, te tika, te ākonga me to kaha, kia haere ki te ao hurihuri – To inspire all learners to have integrity, beliefs and obtain knowledge so that they will strive to achieve in life’. 

​​Umawera School​’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to: 

• continue to build a positive and inclusive school culture that promotes a sense of belonging for all 
• raise and extend student achievement  
• develop integrity with a set of strong values and principles. 

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively teacher practice is developing a positive, and inclusive school culture that improves student achievement and student’s sense of identity. 

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:  

• tracking the progress of all ākonga to improve their learning outcomes 
• opportunities for ākonga and teachers to grow their understanding of each others cultures at ‘tō mātou wahi’ 
• provide opportunities for all to develop strong values and beliefs so that ākonga are proud of their culture and identity. 

The school expects to see: 

• effective monitoring of progress that guides planning and teacher practice and improves outcomes for all ākonga 
• programmes that are inclusive and promote cultural growth and understanding. 

Strengths  

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to evaluate how effectively teacher practice is developing a positive, and inclusive school culture that improves student achievement and student’s sense of identity: 

• leadership who enacts the school vision and are committed to achieving best outcomes for all ākonga 
• ongoing engagement with whānau and community to establish the new school vision and values 
• tamariki who have a strong sense of belonging to their school. 

Where to next? 

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:  

• ākonga knowing about their own culture and identity 
• effective assessment analysis and evaluation processes that inform planning, improve teaching practice and learning outcomes for all ākonga. 

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 

​​8 April 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