Winchester Rural 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 

Winchester Rural School is located in Winchester, Mid Canterbury, and provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. It is part of Te Oro Karaka Kāhui Ako. A new principal has recently been appointed.

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation. 

Part B: 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 C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals 

Since the previous ERO report the school focused on evaluating the extent to which the teaching of the local curriculum contributed to improved student outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expected to see:

Improved student achievement in literacy and numeracy.

• Student achievement data shows most students working at the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics.

Improved equity in student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.

• Māori student achievement in literacy and numeracy shows a significant improvement.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action to improve student outcomes in literacy and numeracy, has been the introduction of structured literacy and the strengthening of classroom practice and teaching strategies.

Part B: Current State 

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

The school is achieving increasingly equitable and excellent outcomes for most learners.

• Most students achieve at the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Māori student achievement continues to improve over time; these learners achieve and progress at similar rates to their peers.
• Students experience a positive learning environment and feel connected and engaged with their peers and teachers.
• Most students attend school regularly and the school has thorough processes for following up non-attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

School leadership works collaboratively and strategically to improve outcomes for learners.

• Student progress and achievement information and feedback are increasingly used to identify teachers’ professional learning and development needs and support student learning. 
• School leadership is responsive and focused on developing positive partnerships for learning with students and whānau to provide effective strategies for diverse learners’ needs.
• Collaboration and cooperation are evident in the relationships among staff and school leadership to provide quality teaching and learning.

The school’s curriculum and teaching practices are increasingly responsive to students’ learning needs, interests, and cultural identities.

• Students have purposeful, well-paced learning opportunities and support to experience success across the curriculum; barriers to learning are addressed in a timely manner.
• Teaching practice in mathematics to improve students’ progress and achievement has been identified as a focus for further strengthening. 
• The school has identified the need to continue the review and development of the wider curriculum to provide a broader programme for students.

Planning for improvement is increasingly informed by evidence and in partnership with the school’s community.  

• A comprehensive annual plan accompanied by clear outcome statements provides the board and staff with clear guidance and measures to support school improvement.
• The school gathers and responds to the feedback of learners and whānau and uses this information to make changes for improved student learning and wellbeing.
• School leaders have identified, and ERO’s evaluation affirms, the need to further integrate te ao Māori, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori into the local curriculum to sustain equity. 

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• sustain and continue to improve student achievement in literacy and mathematics.
• build teacher capability in teaching mathematics for improved learner progress and achievement 
• build leaders and teachers’ cultural capability and understanding in te ao Māori, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori.

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

Within six months:

• embed the consistent use of assessment tools to report on student progress and achievement 
• evaluate teacher professional development needs in mathematics and source appropriate professional learning opportunities to build capability 
• strengthen relationships with mana whenua to support teachers’ practice in te ao Māori, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori

Annually:

• monitor and report student attendance and achievement data in reading, writing and mathematics 
• monitor progress of students who are identified as not achieving at the appropriate curriculum level to support accelerated learning for those who need this
• evaluate the effectiveness of literacy and mathematics teaching to improve achievement outcomes.

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

• continued progress, acceleration, and improvement in student achievement in literacy and mathematics
• teachers have engaged in appropriate professional learning to build capability and consistency in teaching mathematics
• positive partnerships with whānau and iwi with the purpose of responding to what educational outcomes whānau Māori want for their children.

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

12 August 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