Tauhara School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

 

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Tauhara School 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 

Tauhara primary school is located in Taupō for Years 1 to 6 students. 

Tauhara School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• improve student engagement in learning
• accelerate student achievement, particularly for boys.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Tauhara School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which culturally responsive and relational pedagogy improves engagement, behaviour and learning opportunities for all students. 

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is: 

• exploring further refinement and interventions to support accelerated achievement in literacy and mathematics learning
• increasing the number of students who are operating in the Green Zone for Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) schoolwide behaviour plan
• improving attendance and engagement with learning opportunities across the school.

The school expects to see increased engagement with learning opportunities across the school, acceleration in achievement and improved behaviour for all students.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to improve learner outcomes:

• a clear focus on improving outcomes for boys through teacher inquiry and a boys’ only class
• using student, teacher and whānau views (through the Rongohia Te Hau survey) to measure the school’s use of culturally responsive and relational pedagogy and inform the strategic direction of the school
• the work with Ngāti Tūwharetoa to design a local curriculum giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo Māori and Mana Whenua.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• implementing the Tūwharetoa Cultural Competencies as part of the local curriculum to increase interest and relevancy for learners, to engage them and improve attendance
• supporting teachers with iwi assistance, to grow knowledge and competency in Ngāti Tūwharetoatanga in order to provide a wider range of learning opportunities for students
• giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by supporting teachers to learn te reo Māori through the Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori programme.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

7 March 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