Pomaria Road School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Pomaria Road 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 

Pomaria Road School is located in Henderson, Auckland. The school caters for ākonga in Years 1-6. The school’s vision is to set all learners Wairua, Manawa and Hinengaro up for success, so they can stand strong individually and collectively for now and into the future. 

Pomaria Road School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to provide barrier free access to learning, quality teaching and learning and learners at the centre of all the school does through:

• ensuring that every learner develops sound foundation skills in literacy and numeracy
• meaningfully incorporating te reo Māori and Pacifica language and culture into the kura through the lens of a culturally responsive local curriculum
• to continue to grow culturally responsive staff through the implementation of a coaching model of development.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school’s localised curriculum meets the National Education Learning Priorities (NELP) and the school’s strategic goals through a culturally responsive focus on equitable and excellent learners’ outcomes.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is: 

• supports the 2022/2023 focus on lifting literacy achievement outcomes, post the pandemic
• the National Education Learning Priorities (NELP) focus on barrier free learning, through building teacher capability in data literacy and responsive practice, ensures learners are at the centre of teaching, learning, planning and reporting
• to enable greater success in early literacy through using consistently, and with fidelity, Better Start Structured Literacy (BSLA) learning 
• implementation in 2023 of the school’s culturally responsive localised curriculum planning with a focus on building teachers’ cultural knowledge and capability through the school shared coaching model 
• a school focus in 2023 on strengthening whānau relationships and engagement with the school.

The school expects to see: 

• attendance rates lifted, to enable and support full school ākonga engagement, the ongoing building of learner agency and self determination 
• gathering data to support the impact of the school’s culturally responsive localised curriculum on equitable outcomes for all learners
• ongoing strengthening of assessment for learning practices (AfoL), through professional learning and the school’s coaching model, to keep a focus on excellent learner literacy outcomes 
• professional development to support senior team members to be informed, collaborative and instructional leaders with the skills and knowledge to coach their teachers
• continued engagement - building with whānau, mana whenua, local iwi, and local Pacific groups focussed on gathering stakeholder voice into strategic planning and goal setting. 

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how well the school’s localised curriculum meets the National Education Learning Priorities (NELP) and the school’s strategic goals:

• learners have a strong sense of belonging 
• consistency of practice where all staff are focussed on sustaining shared vision, shared language and shared expectations
• schoolwide values are central to the school improvements in learner behaviour and learning outcomes
• leadership is firmly focussed on learner wellbeing and learners experiencing success in who they are
• parents and the Board are supportive and involved in the school.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• supporting the 2024 new members of the leadership team focus in on the school’s strategic goals that are embedded in the evaluation
• 2024 beginning to work with the Māori Achievement Collective (MAC) to develop further cultural responsiveness in the school’s teaching and learning pedagogy and curriculum
• teachers and leaders working with Russel Bishop to further strengthen their shared vision for success for every learner through relational and high expectation teaching practices
• determine how to capture the aspirations of the local community and whanau into day-to-day learning opportunities.

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

19 February 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