Brunswick 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 

Brunswick School provides education for children in Years 1 to 8 and is located north of Whanganui. The school’s vision ‘Grow Your Learning’ is supported through the values of ’Grit, Respect, Ownership and Wonderings’.

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 

• Most students are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics with the majority achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in writing; achieving equity for groups of learners, particularly for Māori learners and boys in writing, is an identified school priority.
• Students express a strong sense of wellbeing, promoted by an inclusive culture and responsive teaching practices.
• The large majority of learners attend school regularly; the school is meeting the Government’s target for regular attendance in 2024.

Conditions to support learner success

• The board collaborates strategically with leadership to support and implement the school’s vision, values and agreed goals and targets; well aligned resourcing supports learner-focused improvements.
• Annual planning is accompanied by clear outcome statements that provide the board and staff with guidance and measures to support school improvement.
• Leaders have developed clear, shared expectations for teaching and learning that improve student engagement and outcomes.

• Inclusive environments and respectful relationships between teachers and students promote a strong sense of belonging and positive engagement in learning.
• Teachers embed agreed teaching and learning strategies that consistently support the needs of students; reliable assessment information is used to plan and teach enabling students to progress and achieve.
• Professional learning is well facilitated by leadership to support and develop teaching practice to improve outcomes for students.

• Professional learning opportunities, and monitoring of planned changes in teacher practice and student outcomes, are deliberate and aligned to strategic priorities.
• Parents and whānau are regularly engaged in their children’s learning; regular communication about progress and achievement strengthens home and school partnerships.
• Leaders, trustees and staff increasingly give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through partnerships with Māori, collaboration within the Kāhui Ako, and the integration of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori throughout the curriculum.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• continue professional learning in writing to further strengthen shared understanding of high-quality practice, and promote coherence and consistency across the school
• continue to evaluate the impact of improvement strategies on student progress and achievement outcomes and the ongoing effectiveness of professional development programmes
• continue to monitor and work towards meeting the Government’s targets for regular attendance.

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

Within six months:

• continue to develop and embed agreed teaching and learning strategies that effectively accelerate learning, challenge students to achieve excellence and increase equitable outcomes for identified students, including boys and Māori learners in writing

Every six months:

• continue to evaluate and report on the impact of evidenced-based teaching and learning on student achievement; use classroom observations, student voice and progress information to improve student outcomes and equity, with a particular focus on boys and Māori learners in writing
• evaluate the impact of actions taken to further increase the number of students attending school regularly

Annually:

• analyse the impact of evidenced-based teaching, including interventions for accelerated progress and achievement in writing, to inform ongoing improvement initiatives
• continue to use the analysis of achievement and progress data, and other evidence, to know and report on the effectiveness of agreed teaching and learning strategies on outcomes for students, particularly for boys and Māori learners in writing
• continue to track, analyse and report on achievement, progress and attendance information to the board to identify, plan and resource priority actions
• evaluate and report the effectiveness of strategies and approaches that support high levels of attendance.

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

• improved equity and excellence in outcomes for all learners
• enhanced, evidenced-based approaches, to teaching, learning and assessment in writing
• increased number of students attending school 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

25 March 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