Mokoia 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 

Mokoia School, located in rural South Taranaki, provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school’s mission is to be a beacon of excellence, inspiring all students towards a lifetime of learning in a supportive, aspirational environment.

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 

Learners are engaged, make progress over time and the majority achieve well.

• Achievement information shows that the majority of learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Learners with additional needs are well catered for through programmes that support their progress and achievement.
• Students have a strong sense of belonging and know and express the school values in their interactions. 
• A small majority of learners attend school regularly; the school is yet to achieve Ministry of Education’s targets for regular attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders are strengthening school systems and conditions for learning.

• Leaders set strategic goals and targets with a focus on improving learner progress, achievement and wellbeing outcomes.
• Leaders regularly use external expertise to facilitate the ongoing development of curriculum priorities and strengthen teaching practices. 
• Staff promote an inclusive school culture with a clear intent on enhancing learner engagement and wellbeing. 

Teaching is increasingly intentional and responsive to the diverse needs of learners.

• Teachers collaborate and adapt teaching strategies to more effectively cater for students’ learning needs.
• Leaders and teachers are improving the way they collect and analyse data to inform effective teaching and learning practices that meet the needs of learners.
• The school’s curriculum strongly reflects the aspirations of whānau and mana whenua, enabling students to see themselves, their identity and culture in their learning.

Key conditions that support improved learner outcomes continue to be strengthened.

• School and whānau interactions focus on student success and wellbeing; fostering a collaborative approach to learning partnerships that build positive outcomes for learners.
• Staff, trustees and learners are maintaining a strong commitment to further developing their collective capabilities and understanding of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Leaders and teachers are beginning to use internal evaluation to measure and understand the impact of initiatives designed to improve learner outcomes.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• further embed explicit, structured teaching approaches to improve achievement outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics
• use an evidenced based process to evaluate teaching and learning strategies and monitor their impact on learner outcomes
• continue to use partnerships with whānau and mana whenua to support implementation of the localised curriculum, with a focus on collaboratively improving learners’ achievement and attendance outcomes.

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

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers continue to provide regular coaching and feedback to each other that supports effective implementation of agreed teaching and learning strategies.

Every six months:

• track, monitor and report the achievement of all learners with a focus on the progress of learners at risk of underachievement 
• use evaluative evidence such as teacher observation, student voice and learner outcomes to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies.

Annually:

• gather and report achievement information to the board and school community, including progress made in achieving equitable outcomes for learners at risk of not achieving
• report on the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies designed to improve learner outcomes to inform future resourcing decisions
• gather whānau and mana whenua voice to review the success of partnership initiatives designed to support implementation of the localised curriculum and improve learners’ achievement outcomes and attendance rates.

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

• improved attendance, engagement, achievement outcomes and equity for all learners
• a shared understanding of teaching and learning practices that facilitate and support improved outcomes for learners
• leaders, teachers, whānau and mana whenua having a shared commitment to the provision of a localised curriculum that supports learner engagement, achievement and 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

3 December 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