Matatoki 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 

Matatoki School is located in the small rural community of Matatoki near Thames and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision of Achieving Excellence Together I Rere totika, rere pai, rere rungarawara re e is underpinned by its CARE values of courage, attitude, respect and excellence. 

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 

Learner outcomes are increasingly equitable and excellent.

• Most learners, including Māori students, achieve at or above the expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; ensuring equitable outcomes in mathematics for learners in Years 4 to 8 remains a priority.
• Learners express a positive sense of belonging and pride in their school that supports their wellbeing and engagement with learning.  
• A large majority of students attend school regularly; the school has met the Ministry of Education’s 2024 target for regular attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

Strategic leadership sets responsive goals, including quality teaching, that improve conditions and outcomes for learners. 

• Instructional leadership sets high expectations for teaching and learning that promote increasingly equitable and excellent outcomes for learners.
• Leadership prioritises areas for school improvement through collaborative planning, co-ordination and evaluation of the school’s curriculum to meet the needs and interests of learners.
• Leaders and teachers have strong relationships with and support from the wider school community that contribute to positive learning experiences for students.

Students benefit from a meaningful and integrated local curriculum that supports their success and wellbeing. 

• Teachers build student confidence and independence through providing structured learning opportunities and responding to the diverse needs of all learners.
• Teachers consistently create positive learning environments that support respectful relationships with and between learners. 
• Staff integrate aspects of mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori into teaching and learning so that learners know about and appreciate te ao Māori.

Key conditions that underpin successful schooling, including staff professional capability, learner wellbeing and evaluation practices, strengthen learner engagement.

• Leaders and teachers prioritise and engage in ongoing professional learning and development opportunities that enable learners to experience high quality teaching.
• Students experience relevant wellbeing initiatives that support their engagement in an inclusive learning environment.
• Teachers use systematic and collaborative inquiry processes that focus on improvement strategies and enable all students to progress and achieve.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• develop and implement a shared understanding among staff of effective approaches for teaching mathematics
• further develop school-wide practices that enable learners to manage their wellbeing
• continue to use highly effective teaching practices that maintain learner progress and achievement.

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

Within six months:

• provide professional learning opportunities to strengthen teachers’ understanding and use of highly effective teaching practices, with a focus on mathematics
• survey and analyse students’ perceptions of wellbeing in Years 4 to 8 to inform ongoing initiatives

Annually:

• evaluate the impact of teaching practices and wellbeing initiatives on student attendance, engagement, progress and achievement 
• review and report to the board on the progress and achievement of learners and groups of learners, with a particular focus on mathematics.

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

• sustained student progress and achievement, particularly in mathematics
• well-engaged 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

20 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