Manawaru 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

Manawaru School, a small rural school situated between Te Aroha and Matamata alongside the Kaimai Ranges, provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is to grow learner capacity ‘to know, do, learn to be, and learn to live together’.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Current State 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

Outcomes for learners show continuous improvement over time.

• Most learners, including Māori students, progress and achieve at or above the expected curriculum levels in reading and writing; the majority achieve at or above in mathematics.
• Learners who have English as a second language are well supported and make good progress in their learning.
• Learners’ sense of wellbeing is evident; they confidently participate in a wide range of relevant learning experiences within a positive and inclusive environment.
• In relation to the Ministry of Education’s target for attendance, the majority of learners attend school regularly; effective strategies are in place to address attendance concerns.

Conditions to support learner success

School leadership works collaboratively and strategically to create a learning environment with high expectations for students and continuous improvement. 

• Leadership sets a small number of relevant improvement goals that focus on the progress of learners at risk of underachievement.
• Shared accountability among staff for student progress, achievement and wellbeing contributes to positive outcomes for learners.
• Leadership makes well-considered decisions that address the professional learning needs of staff and support student wellbeing and achievement outcomes. 

Learners benefit from a relevant local curriculum that supports their success and wellbeing.

• Teachers implement meaningful learning programmes that help individual students and groups of learners make progress, particularly those with additional learning and wellbeing needs.
• Students experience inclusive class environments where respect between learners and with teachers promote active engagement in learning activities.  
• Leaders and teachers increasingly integrate aspects of mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori into teaching and learning so that learners further develop their understanding of te ao Māori.

Key conditions, including community partnerships and board and staff collaboration, support positive learning experiences for students.

• The board, leadership and teachers build positive and productive partnerships with parents, whānau, iwi and the wider community so that students are provided with meaningful learning opportunities. 
• The board, leaders and teachers regularly work together to evaluate evidence about learner progress and achievement to inform improvement priorities.
• Leaders and staff implement deliberate wellbeing initiatives that support all students’ participation in learning.
• Strengthening teaching programmes and practices for learners with English as a second language is a school priority.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• review and refresh approaches to the teaching and learning of literacy and mathematics, with a particular focus on learners with English is a second language 
• continue to strengthen mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori within the school’s local curriculum so that staff and students develop confidence in their knowledge and understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand
• further develop school-wide practices that increase attendance and enable learners to manage their wellbeing and learning challenges.

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

Within six months:

• provide staff with professional learning opportunities that strengthen their understanding and use of highly effective teaching practices in literacy and mathematics, particularly for learners who have English as a second language 
• develop and implement a curriculum plan that strengthens mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori and reflects the interests of all learners
• survey and analyse students’ perceptions of wellbeing to inform ongoing school initiatives.

Annually:

• report to the board on student attendance, progress and achievement, with a particular focus on learners who have English as a second language, to improve outcomes for all learners
• review and update teaching and learning plans to ensure class programmes reflect mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori 
• evaluate the impact of initiatives that support student attendance and help learners to manage their own wellbeing. 

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

• sustained student progress in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly for learners who have English as a second language
• learners and teachers continue to develop confidence in their knowledge of mātauranga Māori and use of te reo Māori
• well-attending students who capably manage their learning and wellbeing challenges.

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

29 August 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