Turaki 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 

Turaki School is in Taumarunui and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision, Rural School, Global Outlook is underpinned by the AROHA values of achievement, respect, ownership, honesty and attitude– The Turaki Way.

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

Outcomes for learners are becoming more equitable and excellent.

• The majority of learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Students with additional needs are provided with effective assistance and they progress well in relation to their learning goals.
• Learners experience a positive and increasingly supportive environment that supports their wellbeing and promotes a sense of belonging.
• Less than half of students attend school regularly, below the 2024 Ministry of Education target; leaders and teachers closely monitor and support whānau to improve the attendance rates for all learners.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders work well strategically to improve outcomes for learners.

• Leaders set and pursue schoolwide goals and targets with a focus on increasing progress and achievement for all learners.
• Clear expectations and scheduling prioritise literacy and mathematics teaching that effectively supports continued improvement in learning outcomes.
• Leaders use internal and external expertise that facilitates ongoing development of the curriculum and strengthens responsive teaching practices.

Teachers are taking steps to provide consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices.

• Teachers increasingly demonstrate a culture of learning and reflection focused on aspects of their teaching practice to improve learner engagement, progress and achievement.
• Teachers are working towards addressing barriers to learning, using assessment data to inform responsive practices that support improved learner outcomes.
• Students experience a well-considered curriculum that provides them with relevant learning opportunities and reflects the aspirations of the community.

Key conditions continue to be strengthened to support improved outcomes for learners.

• Leaders and staff work with whānau as respected and valued partners in learning to progress school priorities for learner success.
• Leaders are developing evaluative capabilities to better know and understand the impact of initiatives and strategies on learner outcomes.
• The board makes targeted resourcing decisions that support the school’s vision, strategic direction and improvement goals.
• School leaders are continuing to build reciprocal partnerships with iwi and hapū, to ensure the curriculum reflects local contexts and te ao Māori.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• further develop explicit teaching approaches to sustain and improve learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• adopt a framework to increase the use of internal evaluation schoolwide, to support ongoing improvement
• use internal and external expertise to strengthen the provision of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within the curriculum, with a focus on increasing teacher and learner capability
• explore additional strategies to promote regular attendance.

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

Within three to six months:

• develop a systematic way to monitor the progress and impact of key improvement actions
• evaluate the provision of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within the school’s curriculum, assess teacher and learner capability and develop an implementation plan
• refine strategies for supporting regular attendance.

Every six months:

• observe and evaluate teaching across the school, offering personalised feedback and next steps for teachers
• leaders and teachers regularly collaborate to discuss successful explicit teaching practice and analyse shifts in attendance and achievement data
• review how well teachers are increasingly integrating te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori within the curriculum and the impact on learner outcomes.

Annually:

• review and analyse achievement information, including the perspectives of whānau and learners, to identify initiatives that have been most successful in accelerating progress and achievement for all learners
• report analysed attendance and achievement data to the board, to strategically plan actions that will continue to sustain and improve learner outcomes.

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

• improved attendance and sustained learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics for all learners
• leaders and teachers using data and feedback to collaboratively monitor, track and evaluate the impact of teaching adaptations on learning outcomes
• increasing staff and learner capability in te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori.

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

28 January 2025 

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