Fordell 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 

Fordell School, located in Fordell, a rural township close to Whanganui, provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is Growing Empowered Navigators Together.

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 

Outcomes for learners are increasingly equitable and excellent.

• Most learners, including Māori learners, are achieving at or above curriculum level expectations in mathematics and a large majority are achieving at or above curriculum level expectations in literacy; there is an identified disparity for boys in writing yet to be addressed by the school. 
• Learners at risk of not achieving are closely monitored with a focus on improving learning to reach curriculum levels; a number of these learners make accelerated progress. 
• Learners express a positive sense of belonging and pride that supports their wellbeing and engagement with learning. 
• The majority of learners attend school regularly; leadership is focused on further increasing the rates of regular attendance using a range of initiatives and working with individual learners and whānau to achieve the Government’s attendance target. 

Conditions to support learner success

Strong leadership is improvement focused and pursues strategic priorities for the school.

• Leaders use a wide range of evidence to make informed decisions about improvement actions that support learner progress and achievement. 
• Leaders set high expectations for quality teaching and learning and actively demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional growth to meet school goals. 
• Leaders work together to create a positive environment that is inclusive, values diversity and promotes student wellbeing for learning.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations and work collaboratively to improve achievement, progress and wellbeing.

• Students have a curriculum that reflects the local context and offers them rich, relevant, learning opportunities. 
• Learners’ individual progress and achievement is closely tracked and monitored and well known by teachers, supporting them to respond to accelerate learning.
• Learners with additional learning needs are well supported to access the school curriculum and experience success; external agencies are involved when appropriate. 

Well established key organisational conditions drive strategic improvement and prioritise student wellbeing, progress and learning.

• Parents and whānau are respected and valued partners in their child’s learning; the school promotes strong relationships that focus on achievement, wellbeing and the wider curriculum. 
• An appropriate range of professional learning is in place to support and grow teacher capability in key teaching and learning areas; this is aligned to learner need and school strategic priorities.
• Teachers integrate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into classroom programmes to reflect Te Tiriti o Waitangi; appropriate professional learning and development is in place. 
• A systematic approach to planning for school improvement and innovation is informed by adaptive, responsive high-quality evidence and evaluation.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• improve and sustain progress and achievement outcomes for all learners, particularly for boys in writing
• further strengthen and embed practices for consistent teaching and learning programmes across all curriculum areas
• continue to track, monitor and respond to information on the impact of initiatives to improve outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics
• embed successful attendance initiatives to improve and sustain regular attendance.

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

Within six months:

• continue the initiatives to raise student outcomes in writing, with a focus on reducing inequity for boys
• complete observations and feedback to teachers, including learner feedback, that pinpoint opportunities for further development teaching and learning approaches in writing
• continue to communicate with parents about the correlation between attendance and achievement to increase student attendance and meet the Government’s target

Every six months:

• continue to analyse attendance and achievement information to know the impact of strategic planning and resourcing, to inform next steps for learners and to respond to any areas that require acceleration

Annually:

• continue to review the impact of teaching and learning programmes on achievement outcomes, with a focus on boys in writing, to know what has been successful and what needs further improvement to inform ongoing strategic direction
• report to the community on the impact of initiatives to strengthen progress and achievement and identify areas for potential improvement
• continue to analyse and report attendance patterns and trends to inform the ongoing planning for improving the regular attendance of learners.

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

• continued high levels of student progress and achievement 
• improved learner outcomes for boys in writing 
• learners 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

7 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