Pokeno School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 10 months of the Education Review Office and Pokeno 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 

Pokeno School is located in the township of Pokeno, providing education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school continues to have significant roll growth due to urban development, resulting in the community becoming increasingly multi-cultural.

Pokeno School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• to strengthen teacher and student capability in assessment for learning to enable educational success and equitable outcomes
• to strengthen knowledge and capability for teaching students with additional learning needs.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively school programmes and practices contribute to increasing progress in writing, with a particular focus on raising achievement for boys and Māori learners. An ongoing priority for the school is improving rates of regular attendance.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• the school’s commitment to its vision to prepare students for their future as life-long learners.

The school expects to see improved attendance, progress and equitable outcomes for students in writing.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to raise achievement in writing, improve rates of attendance and strengthen students’ learning-to-learn capabilities:

• A range of programmes and practices in place that responds to students’ needs, interests and cultural awareness.
• Provision and leadership of professional learning that builds collective capability for teachers and learning assistants.
• A positive and collaborative team culture that is focused on continuous improvement.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• implementing targeted actions to support progress and equitable outcomes for all students in writing
• strengthening students’ learning-to-learn capabilities to empower them to lead their own learning
• continuing to provide professional learning and growth opportunities to respond to the differentiated needs of students and staff.

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

22 August 2023 

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