Rosehill School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Rosehill 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

This report is part of a nationally coordinated evaluation of 27 day specialist schools during the second half of 2023. This included the development of day specialist school evaluation indicators by ERO with significant input from principals, staff and the Special Education Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SEPAnz).

Context 

Rosehill School is a large multi-cultural day specialist school for learners aged 5 to 21 years. All students have Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding. Students come to the school from the surroundings areas of Rosehill, Papakura, Takanini and Manurewa in South Auckland. This includes the base school, satellite classes located in 13 host schools and a transition unit for ākonga aged 18 to 21 years. Forty percent of the students identify as Māori and over half of all students have a diagnosis of autism. 

A specialist therapy team provides transdisciplinary support for students’ wellbeing and access to their learning. A specialist outreach teacher service team based in the school works with ORS funded students enrolled in local schools. 

The school continues to navigate and manage roll growth pressures along with the employment and property demands associated with this.

The school’s vision is to create inspiring pathways for real life success - he waihanga ara whakahihiri, kia angitu ai. As learners move up through the school, staff work to ensure they learn the skills and attitudes they need to be successful at home, at school and in the community. All students progress within The New Zealand Curriculum with the aim that they will be successful when they leave the school.

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

• to develop a Rosehill curriculum that inspires active learning, cultural confidence and promotes personalised pathways
• through powerful practices, grow staff who are confident in applying specialist teaching approaches to meet the individual learning and developmental needs of all ākonga
• embed a Rosehill hauora model that grows ākonga who will actively contribute to their own health and wellbeing. 

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the local curriculum is inspiring active learning and cultural confidence in all ākonga.  

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is: 

• the need to develop a school curriculum that enacts the school vision and reflects the diversity of ākonga
• to ensure all staff will be supported to have a common understanding of specialist teaching practice so it is visible across the school.

The school expects to see an embedded authentic local curriculum aligned with effective teaching practices so that all ākonga can live successful lives. 

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to develop a local curriculum and building a common understanding of specialist teaching practices.  

• Clear systems that show how the majority of students achieve their personal learning goals and the positive impact of a transdisciplinary approach. 
• Comprehensive school systems to track, monitor and report students’ progress and achievements and its reporting to parents, whānau and the board. 
• Strong and collaborative leadership across the school directly contributes to staff developing high levels of expertise in a wide range of specialist pedagogical approaches. 
• Strong teamwork demonstrated by leaders, teachers, therapists and all staff to work collaboratively to ensure that whānau are welcomed and have a sense of belonging.
• A coherent approach to progressing schoolwide strategic initiatives focused on improving student outcomes and this is visible in the classrooms and learning spaces. 
• Highly skilled multi-disciplinary teams that promote wellbeing and access to learning.
• Capable and cohesive school board that actively supports the successful implementation of the school’s vision, values and strategic direction for student outcomes.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• continuing to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the school’s local curriculum
• developing school facilities and property to meet the needs of a growing student community 
• strengthening connections with local iwi and the school’s multicultural communities.  

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

4 April 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