Kopane School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Kopane 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 

Kopane School is located in rural Manawatū and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school sits at the heart of its local community and is proud of its community connections. The school embraces its rural identity and uses this context to engage students in their learning. A new principal started in mid-2021.

Kopane School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• grow motivated, well-rounded learners who achieve their personal best in life and learning
• have an inclusive, family environment with strong connections to the local community
• pursue excellence in learning, teaching and leadership to ensure all children have equitable outcomes.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school is developing and implementing a rich localised curriculum.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to ensure that:

• the enacted curriculum is reflective of all members of the school community
• the curriculum is responsive to the needs of all learners.

The school expects to see:

• culturally responsive relational practices evident across the school
• the New Zealand Histories Curriculum embedded in all teaching and learning programmes
• the language and mātauranga of local Māori as a valued part of the enacted curriculum.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths in its goal to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners:

• school leaders and staff engage in highly relevant and impactful professional learning programmes that strengthen teacher capability and support learner progress
• well-developed systems and processes support robust internal evaluation practices and a culture of continuous improvement
• school leadership guides and supports staff in knowledge building and the strengthening of teaching and learning practices.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• building relationships with local hapū/iwi
• engaging in professional learning in culturally responsive and relational pedagogy
• unpacking and understanding the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum and how to implement this in teaching and learning
• a commitment to introducing tikanga and te reo Māori into daily school life.

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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

3 February 2023

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