Tauhei Combined 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 

​​Tauhei Combined School​ is a small, rural school on the north-eastern outskirts of Hamilton. It caters for students in Years 1 to 6. The school’s roll has increased significantly since 2021. The principal began at the school in 2023. Tauhei Combined School’s vision is for successful learners who aspire, contribute and grow. 

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 

The majority of students experience positive outcomes in relation to their learning and wellbeing.

• The majority of students are achieving at expected curriculum levels in reading, writing, and mathematics. 
• The school is effectively accelerating the progress of some learners; however, achievement disparity remains for boys and Māori, particularly in writing. 
• Students report feeling safe and respected at school. 
• Rates of students’ regular attendance at school are below the Ministry of Education targets. 

Conditions to support learner success 

Leadership provides well-considered direction for school improvement focused on outcomes for students.

• Leadership regularly reviews aspects of school operations and makes data-informed decisions to prioritise improvement areas. 
• Leadership is developing useful processes and taking considered action to build capability across the school and increase shared understanding about effective teaching. 

The school’s curriculum and teaching practices are increasingly catering for students’ needs.

• The curriculum reflects aspects of the school’s local context and provides opportunities for students to learn in ways that are meaningful to them. 
• Teachers are increasingly using dependable student achievement data to respond to the learning needs of students. 
• Expectations for effective teaching practice have been developed and shared, including the use of formative assessment and feedback to students to support them to know their next learning steps; consistent implementation of these expectations is a continued area for improvement. 

The school provides an inclusive learning environment for students.

• Clear classroom routines create a settled environment conducive to learning and support students to develop self-management skills. 
• A range of inclusive practices and resources effectively support students with additional needs. 
• Aspects of te ao Māori, including te reo, are evident in student learning opportunities; leadership has identified this as an area for continued development. 
• School personnel are building partnerships with parents that are increasingly focused on supporting student learning. 

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• improve achievement outcomes for boys and Māori, particularly in writing 
• improve the consistency of effective teacher practice 
• continue to develop opportunities for the integration of te ao Māori in the curriculum 
• increase rates of regular student attendance. 

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

Within three months: 

• establish a process to regularly monitor teaching practices, aligned to the school’s expectations for what effective teaching looks like 
• plan strategic actions to specifically target improving achievement outcomes for boys and Māori, and increasing rates of regular student attendance.

Every six months: 

• use established monitoring processes to identify and respond effectively to teachers’ professional development needs 
• monitor and report to the board rates of student progress and attendance and adjust planned responses as necessary.

Annually: 

• report on the annual and over time progress and achievement of boys and Māori, and other targeted students 
• report on the school’s attendance trends and patterns against Ministry of Education targets and the school’s strategic plan 
• evaluate the impact of teaching practices on improving student progress and achievement, and reducing disparity 
• use internal evaluation findings to plan for further improvement in processes and practices that support increased student achievement and attendance. 

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

• improvement in equitable achievement outcomes for boys and Māori 
• consistent teacher practices that effectively respond to students’ needs and support students to understand how to make progress in their learning 
• students attending school regularly. 

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 

​​19 November 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