Whangarei Intermediate

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 

Whangarei Intermediate provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. The majority of tamariki whakapapa to Ngāpuhi Nui Tonu. The school mission is to create a positive, caring, learning community that enables students and teachers to realise individual potential. 

Te Whānau o Waimirirangi provides learning through Level 1 and Level 2 Māori Medium Immersion for 131 of the 562 ākonga enrolled in the school.  

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.

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

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Expected Improvements and Findings 

ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate how effectively the ‘Hangarau and Toi’ curriculum was implemented to support learners’ immersion in their language, culture and identity.  

The school expected to see:

Māori enjoying and achieving education success as Māori.

• Engagement and achievement information indicates ākonga Māori are increasingly enjoying and achieving success as Māori in Hangarau and Toi learning areas. 
• Te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori are consistently integrated into the Hangarau and Toi curriculum. 

Culturally responsive effective teaching for ākonga Māori.

• Teaching and learning are increasingly contextualised through a Māori world view. 
• Teachers have developed and implemented a shared understanding of what constitutes culturally responsive effective teaching within each learning area. 

Highly effective educational leadership, including culturally responsive learning contexts and systems.

• School leaders have developed a shared understanding of what success looks like for Māori learners within Hangarau and Toi learning areas.
• Teachers work with increased collaboration and systematically implement regular cycles of review to respond to and improve student learning and experiences. 

Effective parent and whānau engagement.

• Specialist teachers deliberately participate in schoolwide events; increased positive engagement with parents and whānau is evident. 
• Whānau knowledge and perspectives are respected and beginning to be integrated into Hangarau and Toi teaching programmes. 

Other Findings

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the increased collaboration and cohesion between specialist and classroom teachers. Students experience greater consistency across learning areas, and home school partnerships have been strengthened. 

Part B: 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.

• A small majority of students are at or above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 8; disparity for ākonga Māori is evident. 
• Student wellbeing information indicates that the majority of students experience a sense of belonging at the school. 
• Less than half of students attend school regularly; attendance is improving toward the Ministry of Education 2024 target; chronic attendance is reducing over time.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership increasingly fosters a culture committed to quality teaching and equity in learner outcomes. 

• Leadership is strengthening systems and processes to improve outcomes for learners.
• Schoolwide decision making is anchored in a deep understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi; teachers and leaders demonstrate commitment to mana whenua Te Parawhautanga and Ngāpuhitanga partnerships. 
• Leaders and teachers prioritise and engage in effective, targeted ongoing professional learning and development to meet the diverse needs of learners. 

Students have access to an increasingly responsive, broad and localised curriculum.

• An increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain sound foundational skills, including in literacy, mathematics and oral language skills is evident; this is supported through the ongoing implementation of Learn to Learn practices. 
• Local contexts that build on learners’ experiences knowledge and understanding are reflected well throughout the curriculum; teachers and leaders are developing a shared understanding of what effective practice looks like to best meet the needs of all learners.
• Assessment methods increasingly inform teaching practices to further improve outcomes for learners. 

Systems and processes are being refined to improve outcomes for learners over time.

• Student well-being information is collected and responded to by school leaders; evaluating the effectiveness of interventions is a next step for school leaders. 
• Leaders and teachers provide a range of opportunities for parents and whānau to engage in the life of the school and support improved student progress.
• The board represents, serves and works with the school community, including mana whenua, to develop the school’s vision and values; a strong focus on giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and integrating te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori into the life of the school supports students to develop their understanding and bicultural capability.

Rumaki/Bilingual Outcomes and Condition to Support Learner Success 

Learner success and wellbeing 

• Ākonga build confidence, cultural pride and leadership skills.
• By the end of Year 8 a large majority of ākonga in Te Whānau o Waimirirangi are achieving at or above expected levels in pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau.
• Ākonga develop confidence and foundational skills in te reo Māori through kaiako and peer support, fostering pride in their identity and gradual immersion in te reo me ōna tikanga.

Conditions to support learner success

• Collaboration with hapū and whānau keeps the curriculum local, authentic, and responsive to community needs.
• Consistent te reo Māori teaching and effective assessments track progress, supporting learner success and well-being.
• Targeted small-group support in Te Whare Kōwhai and consistent teaching strengthen ākonga comprehension and confidence.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• continue to promote the importance of regular attendance and work collaboratively with whānau and the school community to reduce barriers for students
• embed reliable assessment practices in foundation learning areas across the school and produce consistent achievement information to inform teaching and learning
• continue to refine and embed Learn to Learn practices and promote consistency of teaching and learning to improve student achievement outcomes across the school
• develop and implement a professional learning plan for teachers focused on relationship-based practices to improve student engagement, including attendance and achievement
• develop a kaupapa Māori framework for the Learn to Learn practices to align with kaupapa Māori principles.

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

Within six months:

• track and monitor student attendance, engagement and achievement to evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives and inform next steps
• review progress of Learn to Learn practices to ensure shared understandings and strengthen consistency of teaching and learning
• clarify expectations regarding relationship-based practices for staff and begin implementation of across the school
• wānanga kaupapa Māori frameworks for teaching and learning in Te Whānau o Waimirirangi

Every six months:

• monitor the impact of professional learning focused on relationship-based practices for staff and students and revise next steps
• collect and analyse data to inform refinements to school initiatives related to student attendance, engagement and achievement for continuous improvement

Annually:

• evaluate progress of implementation and related outcomes of school initiatives related to student attendance, engagement and achievement to inform future priorities and next steps 
• implement and review Te Whānau o Waimirirangi specific Learn to Learn framework.

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

• improved outcomes for students, particularly in attendance, engagement and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• consistent implementation of relationship-based practices for more effective learning connections between teachers and students
• shared, consistent understanding of best kaupapa Māori teaching and learning practices resulting in improved learner outcomes.

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

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

13 February 2025

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