Pukekohe East 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 

Pukekohe East School is in a semi-rural community near Pukekohe and provides education for learners in Years 0 to 6. The school motto is ‘Strive to learn and learn to strive’. The school values of whanaungatanga, maramatanga, kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga guide the school’s direction. A satellite unit of Parkside Special School and a playcentre are on site.

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 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

Since the previous ERO report of October 2022, the school and ERO worked together to evaluate how effectively the school continued to raise student achievement in literacy through strengthening teacher capability and partnerships for learning.

The school expected to see improved progress and equitable outcomes for students in literacy.

• Achievement information shows evidence of consistently high levels of achievement over time and increasingly equitable outcomes for groups of learners.
• Significant improvement has been made over time for Māori learners in reading and writing, however disparity remains; gender outcomes in writing are increasingly equitable, although girls continue to outperform boys.
• Purposeful, well-planned professional development has strengthened consistency of teaching and learning in literacy.
• The school implemented a range of initiatives in their Community Connection Plan to strengthen partnerships in learning with local iwi; these are well-aligned to kāhui ako goals and improving outcomes for learners.

Other Findings 

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that targeted professional learning consolidated the within-school coaching programme, enhancing effective teacher practice.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the leaders’ strengthened use of internal evaluation to meaningfully inform ongoing improvement. 

Part B: Current State 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

Most students are engaged and consistently achieve well.

• School achievement information shows that most students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; data shows Māori students have made significant gains in literacy. 
• Students with additional learning needs are well supported to make progress in relation to their individual educational pathways.
• Learners' wellbeing is supported through well-considered strategies and approaches focusing on developing learners’ confidence and skills for success.
• The majority of students attend school regularly; the school is close to meeting the 2024 Ministry of Education attendance target.

Conditions to support learner success

Strategic, collaborative leadership fosters a culture committed to high quality teaching.

• Shared leadership responsibilities prioritise school improvement, enabling evidence-based evaluation that responds to areas of identified need.
• Well-considered professional development aligns with strategic goals to improve outcomes for learners.
• Leaders actively mentor teachers to strengthen their practice, enhance leadership capabilities and provide opportunities for professional growth through strength-based approaches.

Teachers and leaders continually adapt and sharpen consistency of teaching practice to raise student outcomes.

• Teachers work collaboratively to maintain a positive learning environment that reflects the school’s vision, values and positive culture of improvement.
• Students have rich opportunities to learn through and engage in meaningful, local contexts.
• Teachers engage in regular collaborative reflection and share practice that promotes consistency in curriculum delivery with the agreed expectations for effective teaching and learning.

Effective organisational conditions for continuous improvement are well embedded and underpin successful schooling. 

• Students’ learning needs, interests and cultural identities are responded to through effective systems, programmes and practices; this enhances student engagement.
• Established, trusting relationships, and shared responsibility enables staff to work together and liaise with external agencies to improve outcomes for learners.
• Leaders and teachers have developed comprehensive procedures that effectively track, monitor and respond to students with a range of learning needs.
• The board works alongside leaders with purposeful, clear decision making to ensure planning is strategic and well-focused on increasing success for all learners.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• continue to improve progress, achievement and attendance outcomes for all learners including targeted teaching for priority learners
• further develop consistency of assessment practices and learning progressions across the school to support students’ knowledge of their own learning
• extend evaluation capability to strengthen skills and practices for all teachers to guide continuous improvement.

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

Every six months:

• monitor and evaluate the use of targeted actions to raise achievement outcomes and rates of attendance for all learners, including priority students 
• monitor how effectively teachers are using agreed assessment practices that positively impact learners’ progress
• review provision of professional learning opportunities for strengthening evaluation capability school-wide.

Annually:

• evaluate and report to the board on the effectiveness of using targeted actions, evaluation capability and assessment practices to raise achievement
• review the effectiveness of professional learning and consistency of practice that further strengthens quality teaching for improvement.

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

• sustained high levels of achievement, engagement and attendance
• improved achievement outcomes for priority students 
• effective internal evaluation processes that support ongoing improvement. 

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

12 December 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