Western Heights High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 7 months of the Education Review Office and Western Heights High 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 

Te kura tuarua o Rotohokahoka, Western Heights High School is situated on land known as Rotohokahoka at the foot of Ngongotahā maunga. Ngongotahā rises above Rotorua city and Te Rotorua-Nui-ā-Kahumatamomoe in the heart of Te Arawa. The school provides co-education for Years 9 to 13. The school has specialist units that support students wanting an education in Te Reo and other units that cater for students with diverse learning needs. The school’s pepeha is Taumata Rau, heights through opportunity, where every student has over 100 peaks that they are working on or are aspiring towards. Once they achieve one peak they look ahead to the next. It is a journey of continual improvement.

Western Heights High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• provide a safe, affirming, and inclusive place for everyone
• identify and reduce barriers that impact on participation, engagement, learning and achievement
• celebrate and accurately use te reo and tikanga Māori in our daily interactions
• support and develop the people that support and develop our ākonga/students
• ensure our ākonga/students have the skills to be work ready
• recognise the importance of developing the four dimensions of hauora for continual growth.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively data is used to inform curriculum planning and design to improve student outcomes.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• continue to build on assessment for learning professional development
• strengthen culturally responsive practice across the school
• prepare students with the skills to cope with increasing change and uncertainty.

The school expects to see deliberate acts of teaching and planning that are data informed, and observation data that shows shifts in teacher practice and an increase in student engagement and achievement through improved agency and self-determination.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to improve student outcomes:

• Systems and processes to gather multiple forms of data to inform decision making are in place.
• Clear strategic direction of the school from Board and senior leadership.
• Well established partnerships and networks that support a wide range of learning opportunities.
• Inclusive learning climate that supports wellbeing of all students.
• Teaching staff with specialist subject knowledge.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• conducting the Rongohia te Hau observation, survey cycle and using the data gathered to inform curriculum planning, design and professional learning
• established professional learning groups to use data to inform deliberate acts of teaching to improve outcomes for targeted students
• utilise existing internal evaluation processes that identify what approaches are working for students to inform next steps for teaching and learning.

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

7 September 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