Whanganui Girls’ College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 8 months of the Education Review Office and Whanganui Girls’ College 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 

Whanganui Girls’ College is located in Central Whanganui and is the only school in Whanganui to provide education for young women in Years 9-13. It prioritises providing academic, social, sporting and creative learning experiences for their ākonga so that they are prepared for the challenges they will face in an ever-changing world. A new principal was appointed in term four of 2022.

Whanganui Girls’ College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for ākonga are:

• achievement for all
• encourage positive relationships while focusing on the wellbeing and safety of the school community
• individual learning potential is recognised and valued
• provide quality resources, infrastructure, and facilities.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Whanganui Girls’ College’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well teaching and learning is being responsive to the learning needs of ākonga in the Junior School so that they are provided with a strong foundation for success in the senior school.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to ensure ākonga are provided with:

• a curriculum that is culturally sustaining
• classroom practices and learning experiences that meet the individual needs of each ākonga.

The school expects to see:

• strengthened formative and summative assessment practices that inform teacher planning and next steps in learning
• the use of learning progressions to address the needs of ākonga in a multi-level learning environment
• robust systems and processes for the tracking and monitoring of ākonga progress in the junior school
• culturally located practices and a place-based curriculum
• excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to ensure equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners:

• positive school-wide culture grounded in strong relationships between staff, students and their whānau
• pastoral and academic support and mentoring systems focused on the individual need of each student
• collaborative staff focused on developing and embedding practices that support improved and successful outcomes for all ākonga
• a cohesive leadership team who provide the conditions for staff to grow and strengthen their collective teaching and learning capacity and capability
• ākonga are actively involved in decision making relating to their learning and wider experiences within the school.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• the development of a school-wide assessment framework in literacy and numeracy in the junior school
• professional learning in effective assessment practices
• deepening teacher understanding of national curriculum levels in literacy and numeracy enabling them to raise ākonga achievement in literacy and numeracy

• a coherent school-wide strategy for the development and implementation of a curriculum informed by the mātauranga of local hapū and iwi
• the use of the Effective Teacher Profile (ETP) in planning, teaching and learning.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

8 August 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

This school has:

• Ad Astra Boarding Hostel