Kuratau School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 9 months of the Education Review Office and Kuratau 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 

Kuratau School is located in Kuratau, northwest of Turangi, and has students from Years 1 to 8.

Kuratau School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• equity and excellence - achieving success for all
• to grow community partnerships and engagement
• Kuratau ‘Mana Whenua’ curriculum - connected to students’ lives, community and environment.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school accelerates progress of all learners, with a focus on priority learners and Māori students.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• schoolwide data indicates that a significant number of students require additional support in reading, writing and mathematics if they are to reach curriculum expectations
• to strengthen the identity, language and culture of Māori students to improve their outcomes.

The school expects to see:

• teachers know who, how, why and what they are teaching and evidence of accelerated learning for equitable outcomes for students
• student voice showing engaged and motivated in the learning process; progress and achievement data reflecting improved learning outcomes
• whānau understanding where their children are at with their learning and supported by the school to know how to help at home.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to:

• leadership that is collaborative and sustains an environment of relational trust for a continuously improving, culturally responsive approach to teaching and learning 
• staff commitment to ensuring strategic goals and annual targets remain at the forefront of what they do
• a collaborative professional growth cycle in place, focussed on growing teaching capability to improve student learning and outcomes.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• implement coherent systems to track and monitor all learners, with an increased emphasis on priority and Māori learners
• providing targeted professional learning that will grow teaching capability for improved student outcomes
• gathering and analysing regular feedback from students, teachers and whānau to know what is working and what needs to change. 

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

30 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