Bethlehem School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Bethlehem 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 

Bethlehem School, located in the Tauranga suburb of Bethlehem, provides education for students in Years 1 to 6.

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

• create a rich bicultural curriculum that reflects the kura and the local community

• design engaging and responsive learning programmes

• grow effective and innovative pedagogy across the kura.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which the design and implementation of a bicultural local curriculum increases student engagement and draws authentic connections to their learning.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• align with the school’s current strategic plan

• improve outcomes for students through the provision of rich opportunities and coherent pathways of learning which connect the New Zealand Curriculum, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and the local curriculum

• develop connections with local places and people of significance.

The school expects to see:

• authentic contexts used to enhance student connection to their learning

• increased achievement for target learners

• improved knowledge of tikanga and local history for all ākonga.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to build a bi-cultural curriculum:

• A school-wide collaborative team culture focused on exploring future-focused practices.

• A supportive school community and strengthened connections with local iwi.

• A strong sense of identity and local history.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• the ongoing development of a localised curriculum that reflects the bicultural history and identity of the kura

• the development of teacher capacity to utilise innovative and responsive teaching strategies, learning experiences and assessments that respond to the evolving needs of learners

• the creation of learning opportunities that will enhance learner agency and support students to take increasing ownership of their own learning journey.

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

1 June 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