Longburn Adventist College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background

This Profile Report was written within seven months of the Education Review Office and Longburn Adventist 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 

Longburn Adventist College is a state integrated year 7 to 13 school of Adventist special character. The school is located in the mana whenua of Rangitane, in rural Palmerston North. The school is coeducational and has a seven-day boarding facility. The acting principal was appointed permanently to the role in Term 2, 2023.

Longburn Adventist College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• Curriculum: ākonga are provided with a local, engaging curriculum that is responsive to the school’s culture, is continually improved and enhances learning.
• Engaging our ākonga: ākonga experience a positive, quality, inclusive education that meets their individual needs and provides support and challenge for all so that all ākonga have a strong sense of belonging and connection to the school.
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi: ensure that Te Reo Māori and te ao Māori is meaningfully embedded in the culture and tikanga of the school.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which ākonga experience an engaging localised curriculum that is responsive to the school’s culture, is inclusive to learner’s strengths and needs and meaningfully embeds te ao Māori.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to further develop and refine the school’s localised curriculum to better engage all ākonga whilst celebrating the special character and cultures of the school. This goal is reflected in the school’s new strategic plan.

The school expects to see:

• a localised curriculum that engages all ākonga by drawing on the special character of the school, the rich history of the local community and meaningfully embeds the school’s goals related to Te Tiriti o Waitangi 
• all ākonga engaged in learning, by making progress in a range of valued outcomes and who can express a deeper sense of belonging and connection to the school
• kaiako who have built a collective capacity to identify and respond to a wide range of ākonga strengths and needs 
• strengthened partnerships for learning between ākonga, whānau, the kura and the community.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support them to evaluate the extent to which ākonga experience an engaging localised curriculum that is responsive to the school’s culture, is inclusive to learner’s strengths and needs and meaningfully embeds te ao Māori:

• a values-based and relational learning environment that is enriched by its Adventist special character
• ākonga who are well known by kaiako and kaiako who are well known in their community
• kaiako and leaders who are committed to the school’s vision and willing to further build their collective capacity to respond to ākonga strengths and needs
• a diverse range of languages and cultures that are recognised and celebrated to support belonging and connection.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• further developing and refining the school’s localised curriculum
• refining systems and processes to track, monitor and respond to ākonga strengths and needs
• further building kaiako capacity to identify and respond to ākonga strengths and needs in a consistent way
• further exploring and embedding the school’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi goals
• strengthening partnerships for learning between ākonga, whānau, the kura and community.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years. 

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

7 May 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