Taupaki 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 

Taupaki School a semi-rural school located north-west of Auckland, provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. A new principal started at the beginning of 2023. The new 2024 to 2026 strategic plan identifies the school goals and values: being respectful, kind, responsible and brave. Taupaki School is a technology provider for the Year 7 and 8 students from several local schools. 

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 

Since the previous 2023 report, ERO and the school are working together to evaluate educational partnerships with whānau and the school community, and the impact on positive outcomes for all students. 

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

Collaboration and consultation with all stakeholders.

• A comprehensive and inclusive consultation process was used to develop a new strategic plan. The plan identifies three pou: culture, curriculum and pedagogy, that clearly align to school development and direction.
• Whānau engagement and collaboration in school wide events are strengthening.

Systems and processes enable increased opportunities for community engagement, partnership and participation.

• Communication with whānau has increased with a new school management system which has the potential to improve whānau interaction with learner progress and achievement. 
• The school is beginning to establish a partnership with local iwi to strengthen te ao Māori practices and enhance the local curriculum. 
• Leaders have developed systems that support professional growth, positive school culture and high expectations for all.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that teachers’ confidence in the school’s direction and development provides incentive to strengthen consistency in teaching and learning. 

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action was leaders’ and the board development of a strategic plan and supporting systems that provide clarity and direction for everyone.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• Most students are achieving at the expected curriculum level in reading; the majority of learners achieve at the expected level in writing and mathematics.
• Māori students achieve better than others in mathematics; disparity for Māori in writing and reading is evident. 
• Staff know students and whānau well; strong relationships support all learners to positively engage with the curriculum.
• The majority of students attend regularly; the school is yet to meet Ministry of Education attendance targets.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders effectively use research-based evidence to support professional development of teachers in structured approaches to teaching and learning. 
• Leaders and teachers set targets and through the use of focused interventions meet the needs of learners and accelerate progress.
• Teachers actively engage in a professional growth cycle, setting new goals that guide improved practice and assist reflection on the impact on learner outcomes.

• Teachers collaborate well to tailor and deliver the school curriculum that engages their learners.
• Learners’ wellbeing in calm and settled learning environments is promoted through the Manaaki Taupaki values and expectations; these are well understood by all. 
• Teachers confidently use the school progressions to ensure that knowledge is explicitly taught.

• Effective communication between the board, leaders and teachers supports the effective implementation of the strategic direction of the school.
• Leaders are strengthening the processes and systems used to enable data-led discussions, make informed decisions and evaluate the impact of programmes on learner outcomes. 
• Leaders and teachers are developing a partnership with Te Kawerau ā Maki through the Mana Kura programme to strengthen te ao Māori, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori throughout the school.
• Regular school events and feedback opportunities promote a sense of community and positive relationships with whānau.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• strengthen school programmes and review assessment practices to accelerate learner progress and achievement; particularly in writing from Years 3 to 8 
• facilitate further professional development for staff to strengthen their collective knowledge and capability to ensure teacher practice is informed by how best students learn
• further embed Manaaki Taupaki into the culture of the school to create best conditions for all learners
• work with whānau and the school community to improve regular attendance for all learners.

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

Within three months:

• leaders will inquire into assessment practices to ensure validity of Year 3 to 8 writing achievement data
• leaders will moderate assessment data with teachers to ensure a consistent approach to grading
• leaders will refine assessment practices for 2025.

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers engage with, and analyse mid-year data points for student progress and achievement 
• leaders will report to the school board and community about student progress, achievement including interventions, and attendance rates
• leaders and staff analyse student wellbeing data and report to the school board.

Annually:

• leaders use data from the professional growth cycle to determine teacher needs for professional development
• leaders and the school board review and evaluate progress against the strategic plan goals and develop an annual plan
• leaders work with local iwi and review and evaluate the impact of the Mana Kura programme.

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

• most students attend school regularly and have a sense of purpose and engage in their learning  
•  improved learner achievement outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics
• teachers consistently and confidently use Science of Learning practices in their teaching. 

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

19 November 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