Te Atatu Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Te Atatu Intermediate 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 Atatu Intermediate is located on the Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland and caters for years 7 and 8 ākonga/learners. The school’s vision identifies the school as a place to belong, where learners are equipped to ‘stand tall.’ This vision is underpinned by the key values of W.A.K.A.: Whanaungatanga, Atawhai, Kaitiakitanga and Ako.

Te Atatu Intermediate’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• Improving outcomes for all ensuring culture/tikanga, outcomes are within reach for all learners.
• A living developing localised Curriculum which puts learners at the centre. 
• Engaging in partnership with community, with learners and whānau at the centre of the school’s educational outcomes.
• A safe and compliant school environment where quality teaching and leadership focus on benefitting learning.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Te Atatu Intermediate’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the school’s teaching strategies and practices in achieving equitable and excellent ākonga learning outcomes. 

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is: 

• to review the school’s culturally responsive and relational approaches in teaching and learning, to evaluate how well they are utilised to support ākonga learning outcomes
• a strong focus has been on wellbeing and inclusive practices over the last few years, so coming out of Covid, the staff feel the next steps are to return the focus to the consistent practices of teaching and learning across the kura.
• as teachers implement the curriculum refresh it remains a priority to ensure the retention of quality teaching and learning practices
• building on school-wide holistic approaches, the evaluation will also consider the impact of hauora and inclusivity on all learners
• the recommendations from the last ERO review were around removing any disparity in the learning data, this evaluation will explore the improvements. 

The school expects to see: 

• equitable and excellent learning outcomes for all ākonga across a broad localised curriculum
• consistent learning targets, tracking and acceleration practices for priority ākonga with identified needs
• continued evaluation of how the school’s culturally responsive and relational expectations which includes the W.A.K.A values impact positively on all ākonga
• leadership capacity and capability developed across the school to further build learner and teacher success
• a continued emphasis on whanau engagement; building with whanau and school the aspirations for all tamariki. 

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the school’s teaching strategies and practices in achieving equitable and excellent ākonga learning outcomes:

• ākonga are agentic and can articulate clearly their learning needs
• school wide culture of acceptance and celebration of differences in an inclusive environment where students find their ‘place to belong’
• a broad creative curriculum that includes developing opportunities for ākonga talents through the arts, STEM subjects, culture, leadership and sports
• teachers and leaders respond quickly to meet ākonga needs across academic, social, and cultural contexts
• a supportive and valued community. 

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• reviewing the school’s qualitative and quantitative data used to focus on evaluating school wide teaching consistency, collaborative practices and learner leadership agency
• through the ākonga lens, consider the transition to and transition from Te Atatu Intermediate practices, in order to establish what creates the most positive difference to learning
• establishing an evaluation plan to inquire into and identify the strategies and practices that are perceived to impact on equity and excellence most positively
• implement the practices and processes consistently to effectively improve learner outcomes
• establishing a clear, shared language statement of shifts in practice expected over the next 2 years.

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 December 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