Swanson School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

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

Swanson School is in Swanson, West Auckland, an area of considerable urban growth.  The school caters for children from Years 1 to 8.  School values haoura and the four dimensions of Te Whare Tapa Wha.  The school’s vision likens the children of Swanson School to a Kauri tree – to inspire them to stand tall, be strong and be leaders in their communities.

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

• excel by providing meaningful learning experiences

• engage with students, whānau and community

• empower people to believe in themselves and others.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact that the Swanson School local curriculum, which considers the balance of hauora, engagement and learning, leads to improved outcomes for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• the Swanson School local curriculum, which is based on Te Whare Tapa Wha, has been developed for implementation during 2023

• teachers and leaders have been developing and trialing Te Manawa, which is a tracking tool to monitor hauora, engagement and learning

• teachers are undertaking further professional development in formative practices.

The school expects to see the development of its local curriculum which encompasses the four dimensions of hauora and Te Whare Tapa Wha:  Hinengaro (mental and emotional); Tinana (physical and health); Wairua (Spiritual) and Te Whānau (family and social) to support all learners to thrive.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the successful implementation of its local curriculum, which focuses on hauora to increase engagement and improved outcomes for all.

• a strong focus on hauora is promoted by all staff in their interactions with tamariki and their whānau 

• Swanson School’s free play philosophy, which promotes inclusiveness and belonging, is well established and highly valued as a platform to promote positive engagement in learning  

• staff are focused on creating a culture of learning, developing an understanding of effective pedagogical practice, and supporting a growth mindset to enable change. 

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• continue to implement the Swanson School local curriculum with a strong focus on 21st century skills, key competencies and culturally responsive practices

• strengthen teachers’ use of appropriate assessments to inform individual learning requirements and provide learner agency

• evaluate, refine, and strengthen the use of Te Manawa for the identification of needs and the tracking of progress of target learners

• incorporate the analysis of hauora, engagement and achievement information into teaching programmes

• continue to implement the Swanson School community engagement plan.

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.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

15 March 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