Drummond Primary 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

Drummond Primary School is located in Western Southland, providing education for learners from Years 1 to 8. Due to its rural location, a significant number of students transition into and out of the school each year. The school’s vision, ‘dream, persevere, succeed,’ is for all learners to be their very best.  

There are three parts to this report. 

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) published report and subsequent evaluation.

Part B: An evaluative summary of learner outcomes and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including 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 report in March 2023, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate how well all learners are making progress towards the school's valued learning outcomes with particular emphasis on identified priority learners. 

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

Strengthened teacher capability in the implementation of effective programmes to support wellbeing to improve learners’ connection to school.

• Teachers focus on creating immediate and positive experiences of school and learning for students by acknowledging and building on their existing learning strengths.
• Teachers effectively monitor students’ wellbeing and learning progress, including those identified as needing to make accelerated progress.

An improvement in progress towards achieving valued learning outcomes in wellbeing, literacy and mathematics for all learners, especially those transitioning into the school.

• Teachers are embedding consistent teaching practices in literacy, including structured learning approaches; literacy learning is more accessible for students at all year levels.
• Comprehensive processes are used to track progress in literacy and mathematics for all learners, including students who transition into the school throughout the year, often for short durations.
• Students from English language learning backgrounds are supported to access the curriculum through their integration in whole class activities; the same learning outcomes are made explicit for all students using levels of support appropriate to their learning needs.

The continuing development of learning partnerships with the school community. 

• Families new to the education system in Aotearoa New Zealand indicate that they are reassured that their children are valued and well cared for by the school, that works to minimise anxiety for these students in the post-Covid environment.
• School-run events for families new to the community establish connections between school and family, build understandings about the schooling system, encourage families to take up partnership roles in their children’s learning and have a positive influence on attendance.
• Learner conferences and reporting to parents and whānau acknowledge progress and receive positive feedback from the school community.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s actions is a commitment to a shared and inclusive vision across the school community of high expectations for the learning, progress and wellbeing of every student.

Part B: Current state

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• Māori learner achievement in literacy and mathematics is equitable, with most students achieving at or above expected levels.
• Most children identified as needing to accelerate their progress in literacy and mathematics make steady improvements towards expected levels of achievement. 
• The school has improving levels of regular attendance that are approaching but not yet at the Ministry of Education’s national target, with the majority of students attending regularly.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders build educationally focused relationships with the school community and take deliberate steps to involve families and whānau in their children’s learning.
• Leaders set and achieve improvement focused goals and targets, including the acceleration of progress for those students at risk of underachievement.

• Teachers regularly collect achievement information that informs the development of a responsive curriculum.
• School-wide assessments increasingly ensure shared expectations about literacy learning, leading to improvements in effective teaching practices that clarify insights into student progress over time.
• Effective teaching practices increasingly support students’ progress in gaining sound foundational skills in literacy and mathematics; practices are responsive and flexible with additional support implemented when required.

• The school develops a range of productive partnerships using local expertise and resources to offer relevant learning experiences.
• The school facilitates regular parent, whānau and community participation in the life of the school to enhance learning opportunities through the localised curriculum.
• The board effectively works to address barriers to students succeeding at and enjoying school, regardless of the duration of their time at the school.
• Student leadership opportunities are fostered across the school, culminating in children in Years 6, 7 and 8 taking up leadership and service roles in the school and community.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• support students to thrive through their learning in an inclusive environment
• provide opportunities for students to achieve personal excellence in educational achievement
• develop teaching and assessment practices in mathematics to continue to improve student progress and achievement
• continue to improve attendance.

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

Within six months:

• teachers further develop the learner profile that tracks the growth in children’s strengths and progress in learning and wellbeing outcomes, to be more detailed about literacy and mathematics, competencies and values
• teachers develop a refreshed long-term plan to ensure that key mathematics learning occurs.

Every six months:

• teachers report on attendance, progress and achievement for each student using the learner profile
• teachers and leaders monitor student progress in mathematics to ensure that key learning is in place and making a positive impact on achievement
• leaders develop a life skills programme involving the school community to further enhance students’ learning experiences and to continue to build connections with families.

Annually:

• leaders report to the board on trends observed across learner profiles to inform annual and strategic planning to improve student learning outcomes
• leaders report to the board about the impact of strengthened mathematics practices on student progress and achievement 
• teachers and leaders review inclusive practices and experiences offered by the school to ensure they are relevant and valuable for students and the diverse school community.

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

• strengthened annual and strategic planning and evidence-based reporting focused on improving student progress at all year levels
• increased equity across all learner groups in wellbeing and learning
• Improved regular attendance.

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

1 October 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