Sacred Heart Girls’ College (Ham)

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 

Sacred Heart Girls’ College (Ham) is a Catholic state-integrated secondary school located in Hamilton East. The college provides education for learners in Years 9 to 13. Since the previous ERO review there have been two new appointments to the senior leadership team. 

The school is guided by its vision is: ignite the Passion; inspiring young women to change the world - me aro ki te haa o Hineahuone and values - whakapono (faith), tuumanako (hope) and tika (justice).

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 

Since the previous ERO report of October 2022, ERO and the school have worked to evaluate the extent to which the schoolwide pastoral care strategy was meeting the wellbeing and learning needs of all students, including Māori and Pacific students. 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expected to see:

Strong tuakana teina relationships between students and teachers to support hauora.

• Students understand the concept of tuakana teina and these relationships are increasingly evident.
• Students have opportunity to learn how to facilitate these relationships for increased wellbeing amongst students in the school community.

Effective communication between students, teachers and whānau resulting in stronger learning focused partnerships.

• Students are supported to have conversations with teachers and whānau to set learning goals.
• Specific resources and support are provided to facilitate effective communication focused on learning.
• Students increasingly respond to these opportunities and whānau engagement continues to be a focus.

Students who are confident agents of their learning, can articulate their learning needs, understand the purpose of learning and know how to seek support to be successful.

• The stepped development of agency through goal setting has had positive impacts on outcomes for some.
• The focus on expectations for teaching and learning supports students to identify their own learning steps and actively seek help if needed.
• Student voice in the learning process is more evident and teachers are responding positively to learning needs and interests.

Other Findings 

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action in relation to further development of the pastoral care system has been a higher level for engagement with whānau, opportunities for more student voice and agency, a proactive approach to pastoral care matters and an increasingly positive culture for learning. Māori and Pacific students report a greater sense of belonging in the school community. 

Part B: Current State 

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• Most students achieve National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 and 2 and a large majority achieve Level 3 and University Entrance; continuing to improve equity for Māori and Pacific student outcomes remains a priority. 
• Achievement information for students in Years 9 and 10 show that the majority are making progress against expected curriculum levels; students with additional learning needs are very well supported and make progress in their learning.
• Most students leave Sacred Heart College with a meaningful qualification and a pathway.
• A small majority of students have regular attendance; the school is progressing towards the government’s attendance targets.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders and staff effectively promote a positive school culture with a clear focus on improving student hauora and learning outcomes.
• High quality teaching underpinned by effective practices is becoming embedded.
• Leadership is further strengthening their response the pastoral and learning needs of Māori and Pacific students.

• Teaching practices are relational, affirming and increasingly responsive to students’ learning needs.
• The integration of the school’s special character by leaders and teachers promotes a sustained focus on equity and excellence in the curriculum.
• Curriculum initiatives and programmes that incorporate local contexts and te ao Māori concepts are increasingly evident. 

• Teachers’ professional growth and development is supported and aligned with school strategic priorities.
• Systems for collating and presenting high level achievement information have been identified as an area for refinement.
• The school continues to seek out and strengthen partnerships with the community, including mana whenua and the Pacific community.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• continue to develop, implement strengthened school systems and evaluate initiatives that support Māori and Pacific students to achieve equitable outcomes
• continue to develop and implement effective strategies to increase students’ regular attendance
• continue to embed effective teaching practice and implement changes in New Zealand Curriculum to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. 

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

Every six months:

• continue to embed teachers’ consistent use of effective teaching practice schoolwide
• Māori and Pacific achievement outcomes are strategically prioritised to ensure a targeted response for equity
• continue to support and monitor the implementation of strategies to increase students’ attendance

Annually:

• evaluate teaching practice for effectiveness and impact on student learning outcomes
• reflect on and review the impact of the targeted responses to raise achievement for Māori and Pacific learners
• report to the board on shifts, trends and patterns of attendance and impact of initiatives designed to improve students’ engagement in learning. 

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

• increased levels of achievement for all, particularly for Māori and Pacific students
• higher rates of regular attendance and engagement
• effective teaching practice and a highly responsive curriculum that responds to the needs of students.

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

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