Otorohanga 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 

Ōtorohanga School is located in the Ōtorohanga district and Ngāti Maniapoto rohe. The school provides education for Years 1-8 in both English and Māori medium. The values of Mana, Aroha, Niwha, Atawhai, Akiaki, Kotahitanga and Ihu Oneone are promoted throughout the school.

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 

• Most learners in reading, and the majority in writing and mathematics, make sustained progress and achieve at the expected curriculum level in reading.
• Students identified as requiring additional support, progress and achieve in relation to their individual goals.
• Most students attend more than 80% of the time; strengthening whānau relationships is a focus for 
  on-going improvement in attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders use a wide range of evidence to plan and monitor improvements in learner outcomes.
• Strong connections with mana whenua support on-going development of the school’s localised curriculum in which students engage. 
• Trustees receive useful reports for learners with additional needs that informs decision making for resourcing.

• Students benefit from relational and affirming teaching practices, alongside well-established learning routines and expectations.
• Evidence-based practices, including the use of achievement information, are increasingly used to improve student outcomes.
• Te reo and tikanga Māori are increasingly woven into all aspects of the school curriculum design and planning, to support students’ identity, language and culture.

• Learners have a positive sense of belonging within an inclusive learning environment.
• School-home partnerships continually strengthen, so that supportive networks improve learner engagement, wellbeing, and achievement.
• The board represents, serves and works with the school community, including mana whenua.

Rumaki/Bilingual Outcomes and Condition to Support Learner Success 

Learner success and wellbeing 

• Tamariki are reflecting the narratives of Ōtorohanga through the intentional use of Ngāti Maniapoto tikanga and waiata. 
• Tamariki learn in an environment that is supportive and culturally responsive. 
• Tamariki are engaged in a learning environment that encourages quality te reo and mātauranga Māori. 

Conditions to support learner success 

• Kaiako engage iwi representatives of Ngāti Maniapoto for guidance and as cultural advisors. 
• Relevant aromatawai is used effectively to inform next step teaching and learning.  
• Pīrongia, the rumaki class, is resourced with one fulltime kaiāwhina to support the wide range of age and learning levels. 

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• give priority to the teaching of writing to increase progress and achievement
• continue to embed the use of data to respond to learner needs when planning teaching and learning in both English and Māori medium programmes 
• strengthen student leadership opportunities across the school
• leadership and governance actively seek opportunities for professional growth with a focus on gaining deeper insight into sustaining and advancing the Māori medium pathway. 

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

Within three months:

• provide literacy professional development for staff
• continue implementing the school-wide assessment schedule to support teaching planning and practices.
• review and identify opportunities for student leadership
• identify opportunities for board members to engage in Māori medium professional development

Every six months:

• continue to review the implementation plan and scrutinise the data to identify shifts in teaching practice, and student progress and achievement, so that next steps in teaching and learning programmes are well informed
• use moderation processes school-wide to ensure the robust implementation of the assessment schedule; support teachers to reflect on their practice and identify areas for improvement
• gather student voice to identify areas of student leadership that have been strengthened and areas that need to be further developed and nurtured
• board members engage with Māori medium professional development

Annually:

• continue to report to the board student attendance and progress and achievement in writing, reading and mathematics to show the impact of changes to teaching and learning programmes
• review the impact of professional development and the use of data to inform teaching and learning programmes to improve student outcomes for target students
• review progress of student leadership opportunities and the impact on student progress and wellbeing
• revisit the needs and requirements of learners within Māori medium to inform decision making. 

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

• increased progress and achievement in literacy for all students
• teaching practices that are high quality and responsive to the needs of a diverse range of students
• students reporting increased leadership roles and responsibilities through the school
• informed decision making around the specialised needs of Māori Medium education.

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

15 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