Oceanview Heights School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Oceanview Heights 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 

Oceanview Heights School is situated in Timaru and caters for students from Years 0 to 8. The school has recently experienced significant roll growth and an enrolment zone has been put in place to help manage this.

Oceanview Heights School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• raising student achievement
• building teacher capability
• developing culturally responsive practices.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches to teaching and learning in mathematics, incorporating culturally responsive practices that promote equity and excellence.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to: 

• address low and declining outcomes for learners in mathematics
• develop teacher knowledge and capability for teaching mathematics and supporting diverse learning needs.

The school expects to see:

• improved rates of progress and achievement in mathematics learning 
• increased engagement in learning, particularly for diverse learners
• consistent use of effective teaching practices for mathematics and for planning to meet the needs of diverse learners across the school.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches to teaching and learning in mathematics, incorporating culturally responsive practices that promote equity and excellence:

• leaders know, understand and support student and whānau wellbeing needs which builds a foundation of caring relationships
• a deliberate partnership with a local cluster of schools, supported by an external facilitator, is enhancing mathematics teaching and learning
• teachers and teacher aides are working together, informed by professional learning and development, to support learning behaviours and student wellbeing.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• implementing and monitoring an effective, consistent schoolwide mathematics approach that supports culturally responsive practices for learner success
• teachers regularly and collaboratively inquiring and reflecting on practice to accelerate student progress and raise achievement in mathematics
• purposefully engaging whānau, families and the community in supporting students’ learning and engagement in mathematics
• strengthening planning and monitoring systems for meeting the needs of diverse learners. 

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

7 February 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

This school hosts the Learning Support Hub for South Canterbury and has an on-site Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) cluster. The principal is the lead principal for the RTLB cluster.