Tauranga Primary 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

Tauranga Primary School is a large, urban school in Tauranga and provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school’s vision is Akongia Tātou ngā haere ki wāhi kē |Together, we are learning to go places. The school has three kaupapa of ako (learning and teaching), whakawhanaungatanga (relationships) and hauora (wellbeing) that guide school improvement.

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 students are engaged, make good progress and achieve very well.

• Most students progress and achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics, and a large majority in writing. 
• The majority of Māori learners achieve at or above the expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; addressing disparity for Māori learners remains a priority for leaders and teachers.
• Students have a strong sense of wellbeing and pride in their school that results in high engagement and positive relationships.
• The large majority of learners attend school regularly; the school meets the Ministry of Education’s 2024 target for regular attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

Strategic and effective leadership drives ongoing improvement to school conditions, promoting student success.

• Leaders nurture and sustain a culture of professional growth and quality teaching among staff, that prioritises continuous improvement of outcomes for learners.
• Leadership uses a range of appropriate evidence, including student achievement information and community feedback, to plan and implement relevant strategic goals.
• Team leaders consistently support teachers with curriculum implementation; this enhances teaching effectiveness.

Staff collaborate well and use agreed teaching strategies to support the needs of learners.

• Teachers use a wide variety of teaching practices that respond to students’ strengths and learning needs.
• Teachers and teacher aides work collaboratively to ensure all students progress and achieve to the best of their ability.
• A range of appropriate and high-quality assessment information is used by teachers to plan for, evaluate and report on the progress and achievement of each learner.

Key conditions that support student success are well embedded. 

• The board, leaders and teachers regularly evaluate meaningful evidence about learner progress and achievement to inform improvement priorities.
• Parents and whānau are respected and valued partners in their child’s learning, including through regular consultation and meetings with teachers.
• Staff value the diverse cultural backgrounds of learners and are strengthening how this diversity is included in teaching and learning.
• Learners who have English as a second language are increasingly well supported to make progress in their learning.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• continue to raise the achievement of Māori students in reading, writing and mathematics
• continue to strengthen approaches to teaching and learning for learners with English as a second language, promoting their identities, languages and cultures 
• sustain and improve regular attendance for all students.

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

Every six months:

• provide staff with professional learning opportunities that enhance their understanding and use of highly effective teaching practices for learners who have English as a second language 
• staff collaboratively evaluate the impact of teaching and learning programmes on learner progress and achievement, with a lens on Māori students and learners with English as a second language, to identify next steps and respond
• continue to monitor rates of student attendance to know the impact of initiatives and inform further school actions.

Annually:

• review and report to the board on student attendance, progress and achievement, with a focus on Māori students and learners who have English as a second language, to inform future planning.

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

• improved progress and achievement of Māori learners and learners with English as a second language
• increased integration in teaching and learning environments and programmes of all learners’ identities, languages and cultures
• sustained regular student attendance.

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

16 October 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