Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate 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 

Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School in Māngere, provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. A new principal started at the beginning of 2024. The school’s values are respect, collaboration, creativity, adaptability and integrity.

Two satellite classes of Sir Keith Park Special School are on site. 

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 

• At the time of review the school was not regularly collecting and analysing valid student achievement information or tracking progress in reading, writing and mathematics over time. 
• Students demonstrate a strong sense of wellbeing, belonging and pride at school.
• Less than half of all students attend school regularly; the school is working to improve regular attendance to meet Ministry of Education targets. 

Conditions to support learner success

• Whakawhanaungatanga is prioritised in the school community to support a positive staff culture and learner outcomes.
• A key next step is building staff capability in assessment and teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. 
• Staff work well in partnership with external providers to meet the needs of learners. 

• Students engage in a wide range of opportunities as part of a broad curriculum; a focus on reading writing and mathematics is a priority for improved learner outcomes. 
• Teaching practices respond to students’ languages, cultures and identities to support a sense belonging for learners.
• Teachers provide clear expectations for behaviour; this contributes to calm and orderly class environments that support engagement in learning. 

• Leaders, board members, staff and students are beginning to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through daily routines, school planning and practices. 
• Leaders and the board need to ensure the school meets legislative requirements through regular monitoring and reporting.
• The collection, analysis, reporting and use of relevant attendance, progress, and achievement information is needed, for board and school leadership to decide on strategic priorities focused on improving student outcomes. 

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• Collect, analyse, use and report reliable student attendance, progress, achievement and wellbeing information to inform teaching and learning and school improvement priorities
• improve consistency and alignment of teaching practice, planning and assessment across the school
• comprehensively review and implement policies and procedures to ensure alignment to legislative requirements 
• plan and undertake professional learning and development for all staff to improve capability in assessment and teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. 

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

Within three months: 

• review curriculum delivery to ensure an hour a day of reading, writing and mathematics teaching and learning, and collect baseline student achievement information to inform responsive programmes for learning
• the board will address identified non-compliance areas of human resource and health and safety to meet legislative requirements
• the board will use reporting on student information to inform strategic decision making and improvement priorities 

Every six months:

• report reliable student attendance, progress and achievement information to the board, parents and whānau 
• engage in professional learning to improve consistency and alignment of teaching practice, planning and assessment across the school and evaluate how well and the extent of improvements
• collect, analyse and report on student attendance, progress, achievement and wellbeing information to guide teaching and learning and inform strategic improvement priorities 

Annually: 

• the school board will use student attendance, progress, achievement and wellbeing information to evaluate effectiveness of annual planning to inform improvement priorities for learners
• review strategic plan and related documents to ensure their alignment to community aspirations and legislative requirements
• leaders and board members implement an ongoing policy and procedure review cycle.

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

• students achieving at curriculum expectation by the end of Year 8, with the skills and knowledge for future learning and access to meaningful educational pathways
• teaching and learning that is informed by the regular collection, analysis, tracking and monitoring of student attendance, progress, achievement and wellbeing information 
• organisational systems and processes meet statutory responsibilities, in particular school policies and procedures.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education provide tailored support for: 

• ensuring the school’s compliance framework meets all legislative requirements
• professional learning to incorporate explicit and deliberate teaching and assessment of reading, writing and mathematics in a range of curriculum areas 
• compliance with the regulations and procedures for stand downs and suspensions.

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

19 August 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