Tuakau School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

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

Tuakau School is located in the small rural community of Tuakau which borders on the Waikato and Auckland districts. It provides education for students in Years 1 to 6 in specialised learning areas. The school promotes the values of manaakitanga, tiakitanga and whanaungatanga.

Tuakau School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• implement an innovative school curriculum that is personalised to the needs, interests and passions of children

• support, foster and provide learning opportunities and acceleration for all

• enhance identity, language, and culture for Māori students

build resilience and wellbeing through Te Whare Tapa Whaa.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate to how effectively data is used to inform and enhance teaching and learning programmes and accelerate learner progress and achievement.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• maintain a focus on student progress to accelerate achievement

• strengthen collaborative processes to improve outcomes for students across the school using an inquiry approach

• investigate opportunities to support effective teaching to increase equity and outcomes for learners.

The school expects to see data used more effectively to inform teaching and learning programmes and increase ākonga progress and achievement.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to improve the way data is used to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for learners:

• well-established systems and practices that promote a collaborative school culture

• leadership consistently encourages decision making across the school that embraces whanaungatanga, tiakitanga and manaakitanga

• whaanau relationships, iwi and hapuu partnerships are valued, supported and nurtured to strengthen the wellbeing of the school and wider community

the poari (board) actively represents the whaanau, iwi, hapuu and the wider community, and participate in the strategic direction for continuous growth and improvement.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• refining and improving the use of data to inform and enhance teaching and learning programmes

• improving kaiako efficacy and practice through relevant professional development and the professional growth cycle.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

10 February 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