Palmerston North Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 10 months of the Education Review Office and Palmerston North Intermediate 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 

Palmerston North Intermediate School span>is located in central Palmerston North and provides education for students in years 7 and 8.

Palmerston North Intermediate’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• to encourage effective partnership between the school and its community
• to have high levels of literacy and numeracy achievement
• to provide effective and future focused curriculum programmes delivered by high quality educators
• to recognise and cater for student’s cultural and special learning needs
• to provide and promote student participation in a wide range of sporting and cultural opportunities
• to provide for the social and emotional needs of staff and students.

A copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan can be requested from Palmerston North Intermediate.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent that evidence-based teaching and learning practices increase learners’ confidence, progress and achievement.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that it supports the school’s ongoing aspiration for high levels of student achievement. It also helps the school focus on developing great teaching practices that engage learners and supports their confidence, progress and achievement.

The school expects to see the consistent application of a localised, evidence-based, school-wide approach to teaching and learning that reliably supports effective learning and teaching.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to evaluate the continued strengthening of evidence-based teaching and learning practices that increase learners’ confidence, progress and achievement: 

• a positive, inclusive school culture and culturally responsive practices that support and affirm student’s backgrounds
• effective leadership that supports professional development to support practice and a commitment from teachers and leaders to engage in professional learning
• an ongoing school-wide focus of developing great teachers and improving learner outcomes
• cohesive school-wide processes and practices that support effective teaching and learning.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• further strengthening evidence-based teaching and learning practices that increase learners’ confidence, progress and achievement
• the refinement of a localised school-wide approach to teaching and learning that reliably supports positive student outcomes
• improved outcomes for indicator and target students within literacy and numeracy with a focus on acceleration in standardised testing.

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. 

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

25 September 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