Upper Atiamuri School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Upper Atiamuri 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 

Upper Atiamuri School is a small rural school situated southwest of Rotorua catering for students in Years 1 to 8.

Upper Atiamuri School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• review the delivery of mathematics teaching and learning through a culturally responsive lens

• use targeted teaching to support students at risk of not achieving, to make accelerated progress.

• develop stronger partnerships for learning.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well a culturally responsive approach to teaching mathematics improves outcomes for boys.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that student achievement data has identified a need to address the achievement of boys in mathematics with a particular focus on improving the learning for Māori boys.

The school expects to see all boys, including Māori, achieving at school expectations in mathematics.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal of improving boys’ achievement in mathematics:

• Leadership that prioritises professional growth and accesses appropriate support.

• Teachers who are knowledgeable and focused on equity for all learners.

• A caring culture where children are supported in a well-resourced learning environment.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• reviewing current learning and teaching practices in mathematics with the aim of creating an action plan

• fostering learning focused partnerships, connections and relationships with local iwi

• ensuring that ākonga Māori and whānau feel welcome and that their place as tangata whenua is reflected in all aspects of Upper Atiamuri School culture.

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

15 June 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