Moanataiari 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 

Moanataiari School is located in Thames and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision and purpose are to provide learners with opportunities to develop their identities, learning competencies and resilience. 

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 

Achievement outcomes are improving for the majority of learners.

• The majority of students achieve at the expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; the school has some disparity to address for Māori students in these learning areas.
• More than half of learners who require additional support make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics through individualised learning plans.
• The majority of learners attend school regularly; school data correlates underachievement with irregular attendance and a range of strategies are in place to support whānau and students where attendance is a concern.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership demonstrates a strong commitment to school improvement. 

• Leaders and teachers continually prioritise the improvement of student learning and outcomes through the school’s strategic planning and resourcing. 
• Leadership sets and implements a manageable number of clear improvement goals, including accelerating the progress of those learners at risk of underachievement. 
• Leaders and teachers build positive relationships with other education providers and community groups to increase student opportunities for learning and success. 

Learners experience a broad, localised curriculum within positive and inclusive learning environments.

• Teachers implement relevant teaching and learning plans that support student progress in literacy and mathematics.
• Students have orderly classes where respect between learners and teachers is evident, and clear expectations result in calm learning environments. 
• Teachers increasingly integrate tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within localised learning contexts and in the wider life of the school.

Key conditions, including board governance, assessment practices and staff collaboration, underpin a positive learning environment for learners.

• The board, leaders and teachers analyse and use relevant assessment information well to inform decision making and actions that improve outcomes for learners.
• Staff have well-considered professional development opportunities that support the school’s strategic goals and learner progress and wellbeing outcomes.
• A school-wide culture of collaboration enables leadership and teachers to reflect on their practice, evaluate the impact on learner outcomes and respond through action.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• integrate a structured literacy approach to improve reading and writing outcomes for all learners, with a particular focus on Māori learners 
• provide learners with strategies to manage and sustain their wellbeing and monitor and report on the impact on outcomes
• continue to work with parents and whānau whose children attend irregularly to understand how this impacts on progress and achievement
• strengthen te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within the school’s curriculum so that staff and students actively give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

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

Within six months:

• provide professional development for staff in the structured literacy approach and integrate this into existing teaching plans and the local curriculum
• continue to implement and review attendance and wellbeing initiatives so that staff respond to learners’ needs in a timely way
• with the school community, plan to support the development of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori, including the further integration of Aotearoa New Zealand histories within the local curriculum

Annually:

• review and report to the board on student progress and achievement in reading and writing to refine literacy teaching approaches
• evaluate, using a range of evidence, and report on the impact of attendance and wellbeing initiatives on student engagement and progress
• evaluate the impact of the school curriculum in promoting mātauranga Māori and confidence in te reo Māori for teachers and learners.

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

• increasingly excellent and equitable outcomes in reading and writing, particularly for Māori learners
• well attending and engaged learners who demonstrate useful strategies to manage their wellbeing and challenges
• learners and teachers develop confidence in their use of te reo Māori and knowledge of mātauranga Māori.

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