Toko 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 

Toko School is located in rural Taranaki east of Stratford. The school provides education for Years 1 to 8, with a vision to provide quality learning for all in a caring community. 

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 

• Achievement information shows that most students, including Māori learners, are at or above the curriculum expectations in mathematics and reading, and the majority progress and achieve well in writing; there is identified disparity for boys in writing.
• Students with additional learning needs are identified, have targeted support and progress well within an inclusive learning environment. 
• Learners have a strong sense of belonging, well promoted by positive teaching and learning relationships.
• Attendance information shows the majority of students attend school regularly; the school is working towards meeting Government targets, and leaders have implemented processes to monitor attendance and its impact on learner achievement.

Conditions to support learner success

• Strategic planning and improvement goals, developed in collaboration with the community, board and staff are focused on equitable and excellent outcomes for all students with clear measures for success.
• Students at risk of not achieving are clearly identified, have targets set, are well monitored and their progress is regularly reported to whānau and parents and the board.
• Leaders effectively build relational trust within the teaching team, resulting in collaborative approaches to relevant professional growth and responsive teaching programmes that are well aligned to strategic priorities and learners' needs.

• Students are increasingly confident in discussing and describing their learning, as well as identifying the next steps in their learning journey (student agency). 
• The school’s localised curriculum, centered on its rural location and enviro-learning focus, engages students in purposeful learning contexts.
• Leaders actively partner with mana whenua to reflect local tikanga, knowledge and histories in teaching practice, as well as increasing use of te reo Māori, that enriches learner understanding and experiences.

• Leaders’ systematic evaluation for improvement focus creates opportunities to improve teaching quality and accelerate progress for those learners who require more support.
• Staff develop a range of productive partnerships within the local community; the school demonstrates a welcoming and inclusive environment that benefits students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging.
• The principal, teachers and board seek, use and value input from the school community in setting strategic priorities that influence ongoing school improvement and learner success.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• continue to improve student achievement in writing, especially boys
• continue to strengthen effective learning and teaching practices across all areas of the curriculum, especially how well learners know and can describe their learning and next steps (student agency) 
• evaluate the impact of improvement strategies on learner progress and achievement outcomes; this includes equity and excellence for all students and the ongoing effectiveness of professional development programmes
• improve and sustain levels of regular attendance.

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

Within six months:

• continue to raise student outcomes in writing, with a focus on reducing inequity for boys 
• continue to complete observations and feedback to teachers, including learner feedback, that pinpoint opportunities for further development of teaching and learning approaches in writing
• measure progress in teaching capacity and capability to support learner agency within the local curriculum
• continue to communicate with parents about the correlation between attendance and achievement to increase student attendance and meet the Government target

Every six months:

• monitor and report progress toward goals and targets, and for groups of learners who are identified as needing to accelerate progress, achievement and engagement
• review the impacts of improved teaching and learning practices on learner success, engagement and progress in writing
• review how well learners know and can describe their learning and next steps (student agency)
• review the strategies used to improve attendance to inform next steps

Annually:

• analyse and report schoolwide progress and achievement to the board and community for reading, writing and mathematics, tracking shifts in the data and identifying further actions for improvement 
• evaluate and report on the effectiveness of professional learning on equity and excellence for all learners in writing and the ongoing usefulness of professional development programmes 
• review strategies and approaches to further strengthen student agency to inform ongoing improvement
• review the attendance, progress and achievement for groups of learners requiring differentiated supports; determine the success of programmes and strategies designed to promote improvements and sustain high levels of attendance.

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

• further increased equity in achievement between groups of students
• improved outcomes for all students in writing
• students attending regularly.

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

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

10 February 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