Willow Park School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Willow Park 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

Willow Park School provides education for students in years 1 to year 6 and is located in Northcote, Auckland.

The school’s vision, Kia Poipoi (We Nurture), Kia Tipu (We Grow), Kia Puāwai (We Flourish) is supported by the values of Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Manawaroa, Kaitiakitanga and Manawa reka.

Willow Park School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• provide and support quality teaching and learning to nurture every child to grow and flourish
• plan and develop safe, innovative, flexible learning spaces
• give practical effect to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi: partnership, protection and participation
• promote the wellbeing of staff and students
• engage and partner with the community.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the implementation of teaching problem solving strategies in mathematics is accelerating learning and achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

While schoolwide data shows most students achieve at the expected curriculum level in mathematics, the rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• increase students’ engagement in learning and to broaden their scope of learning
• use of a growth mindset to improve students’ skill and confidence in mathematics
• promote equitable learning outcomes by catering for those students who need to make accelerated progress and achievement.

The school expects to see students viewing themselves as competent mathematicians and demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning. This will result in improved learning outcomes for all students. 

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal of achieving excellent and equitable learning outcomes:

• staff effectively enact the school’s vision and values
• students demonstrate a strong sense of belonging to the school
• learners experience a positive and culturally responsive school learning climate that promotes their engagement in learning
• teachers adaptively use teaching and assessment strategies to engage students in a broad localised curriculum
• leadership prioritises and plans for school improvement and for equitable and excellent outcomes.

Where to next?

Moving forward the school will prioritise:

• teachers using teaching strategies and relevant assessment processes in mathematics problem solving to further engage students in their learning
• all students having equitable access to learning support and extension in mathematics to become competent mathematicians with a positive attitude to 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.

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

28 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