Pakuranga 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                                                                   

Pakuranga Intermediate is in east Auckland and provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. Many learners have English as an additional language. The school’s values are that students are the kaitiaki for themselves, others, and the environment. The school is the lead school for the Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour service and hosts a satellite class from Sommerville Specialist School. 

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

• The majority of learners achieve at expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The achievement for Māori and Pacific learners in writing and for Māori boys in reading is lower than other groups of students.
• Learners experience a positive and inclusive school environment which supports their sense of belonging. 
• The overall attendance rate for the school meets national Ministry of Education targets; improving the attendance of Māori students is a next step. 

Conditions to support learners

• Leadership sets and pursues a small number of improvement targets including the acceleration of progress for learners at risk of not achieving.
• Leadership increasingly identifies and focuses on teachers’ professional learning and development needs to improve outcomes for learners.
• Leadership is effective at developing educationally centred relationships with other education providers to increase opportunities for learning and success.

• Teachers focus on supporting and accelerating the progress of the many learners of English as an additional language to gain sound reading, writing and mathematics skills to help them succeed.
• Teachers work with and learn from each other to inquire into aspects of their teaching practice to improve learner progress and achievement. 
• Teachers are beginning to use effective teaching strategies, and learners are supported to engage with and apply new learning.

• Leaders and teachers recognise and value the diverse identities and cultures of learners, parents, whānau and the community.
• Relationships between staff and learners are founded on mutual trust and encourage learners to seek help when required.
• Leaders and teachers consult and engage with parents and whānau to share student achievement information, so that parents are included in the learning journey.
• The school board is beginning to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through developing partnerships with Māori and mana whenua to support learner outcomes.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• ensure effective teaching and learning practices are being implemented to improve student engagement
• improve teachers’ use of strategies to meet the needs of all learners, particularly those with English as an additional language
• increase opportunities for learners to talk about what helps them to learn, so they understand how to achieve better learning outcomes as partners in the learning relationship
• review and update the school’s curriculum, including bicultural and local perspectives so that learning is more relevant to learners’ world view. 

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

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers will identify at-risk learners and develop relevant targets and actions to meet their individual needs
• leaders and teachers will closely monitor, and make greater use of, school initiatives that improve attendance, especially for those students who do not attend regularly

Every six months:

• leaders will measure and report to the board on the impact of initiatives put in place to improve achievement and attendance
• teachers will engage and make use of professional learning about effective teaching strategies, particularly for learners who have English as an additional language 
• teachers will support learners to be able to talk about their progress, learning and achievement and what helps them to learn
• leaders will continue to develop, with teachers, the school’s bicultural curriculum to ensure students experience authentic learning in te ao Māori.

Annually:

• leaders will evaluate, using data and evidence, and report on the impact of initiatives put in place to increase student attendance, achievement and engagement
• leaders and teachers will evaluate the impact of professional learning about effective teaching and English language learning strategies on student outcomes
• teachers will use effective teaching strategies that promote inquiry, creativity, and problem solving so learners can talk about, and actively engage in their learning
• leaders and teachers will continue to review and revise the school curriculum, including bicultural and local contexts.

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

• improved student attendance, especially for those who do not attend regularly at present
• improved outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners, especially in reading and writing
• a specific focus on teachers using effective teaching strategies to improve outcomes for learners
• a refreshed localised curriculum, specific to the needs of this school’s learners.

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 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