Whau Valley School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Whau Valley 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

Whau Valley School is in Whangārei and provides education for tamariki in Years 1-6. Whau Valley School’s vision is ‘Kia ako tahi, Kia tupu tahi, Learning as one, Growing together as one’.

Whau Valley School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for ākonga are:

• a rich and relevant localised curriculum, tailored to the needs of tamariki and community
• an inclusive learning environment that promotes positive relationships
• learners demonstrating growth in capability, confidence and wellbeing.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively Whau Valley School’s relationship -based-learning promotes a responsive curriculum that accelerates progress for all ākonga.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• ākonga experience high levels of engagement
• teachers accelerate the progress and achievement of all ākonga
• leaders and teachers further develop a responsive local curriculum.

The school expects to see:

• all ākonga engaged, progressing and achieving
• effective use of evaluation information to inform the school’s curriculum design and implementation of learning programmes
• a strengthened partnership with whānau, working together to grow and support tamariki.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support how effectively Whau Valley School’s relationship -based-learning promotes a responsive curriculum that accelerates progress for all ākonga:

• ākonga wellbeing is promoted, and prioritised
• a commitment to building collaborative teacher capabilities to improve ākonga outcomes
• teachers are committed to relationship-based-learning approaches that strengthen and support teaching and learning.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• undertaking an in-depth analysis of ākonga outcomes to determine school-wide next steps
• modifying professional development from the analysis of ākonga progress and achievement data
• using evaluative activities to strengthen school-wide collaboration and consistency of relationship -based- learning practices throughout the school.

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

12 March 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