Gisborne Central 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  

​​Gisborne Central School​ is in Gisborne and provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school is guided by its vision ‘Learning for Life’ and the values of manaakitanga, mōhiotanga, whanaungatanga and māiatanga.  A new principal was appointed in 2022. 

There are three parts to this report. 

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.  

Part B: 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 C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.  

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals  

Since the previous ERO report of July 2022, the school has been working to evaluate how effectively professional learning in writing has supported continuous improvement for all students. 

Expected Improvements and Findings  

The school expected to see: 

Improved writing outcomes for learners through embedded effective practices, particularly greater equity in outcomes for boys in writing. 

• Monitoring of student progress shows acceleration in achievement for most of the students who were identified as requiring support in writing; improving outcomes for boys and for Māori students remains a priority. 
• Effective practice in the teaching of writing is embedded schoolwide. 

Improved monitoring and support of learners at transition points within the school. 

• A range of initiatives are in place that support effective transition of learners within the school, including processes to guide the ways that information is shared across teams. 
• Leaders and teachers using evidence to show the effect of professional learning on changes in teacher practice. 
• A comprehensive inquiry approach, including strong assessment and monitoring processes to track student achievement has been effectively implemented.  
• Inquiry approaches are well aligned schoolwide enabling teachers to demonstrate the effect of professional learning on their classroom practice.  

Other Findings 

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that successful collaboration between leaders and teachers, focused on identifying and embedding effective teaching practices, is bringing about success and improvement over time for the majority of students.  

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the strengthening of structured literacy practices. Literacy practices are well supported by robust assessment and monitoring of individual students and groups of students. This enables teachers to adapt teaching to respond to students learning needs. 

Part B: Current State  

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement. 

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• Most students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in mathematics, and a large majority achieve at expected curriculum levels in reading and writing; disparity in achievement in writing for Māori students and for boys is reducing. 
• Learners benefit from an affirming and inclusive school environment that is increasingly responsive to their needs. 
• Attendance information shows that the school is approaching the current Ministry of Education target for regular attendance.  

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders use evidence to plan and monitor the school’s strategic improvement plan; professional learning is well aligned to the school’s goals; its effectiveness is measured in terms of impact on learner outcomes to support ongoing improvement.  
• Leaders ensure planning, co-ordination and evaluation of the school’s curriculum and teaching expectations are clear and shared; supporting middle leaders to further grow leadership skills through professional learning is a planned next step.  
• Leaders increasingly involve whānau and iwi in decision making to ensure that the school’s vision and goals reflect what the community wants for its children.

• Students engage in meaningful learning, with clear expectations for achievement and multiple opportunities to explore learning concepts in a range of contexts.  
• Teachers create collaborative and orderly learning environments, using a range of approaches to respond to the knowledge, strengths, needs and interests of learners.  
• The curriculum increasingly reflects the local context in ways that build on learners’ experiences, knowledge and understanding; developing a curriculum overview to align with curriculum developments is a next step.

• Leaders and teachers increasingly identify, draw on and work with community resources, including external agencies, to support and improve learner wellbeing and to enrich curriculum provision. 
• Leaders and teachers are engaged and committed to improving their confidence and capability in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori; these elements are increasingly woven through aspects of the school’s curriculum. 
• The school board is taking steps to increase its engagement in the development of the school’s strategic direction; evaluation capability is strengthening across the school to support ongoing improvement.  

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:  

• implement effective approaches to continue to improve regular attendance  
• embed evidence-based teaching approaches and assessment processes schoolwide, with a continued focus on improving writing outcomes for boys and for Māori learners 
• develop an overview for curriculum delivery and content that reflects curriculum developments 
• provide professional learning opportunities that support teachers’ development as leaders 
• engage meaningfully with all groups within the school community. 

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

Within three months: 

• develop a plan, with whānau input, that includes clear actions to improve regular attendance 
• continue to consult regularly with the community, ensuring engagement with all groups within the school community, to identify priorities for action and inclusion in strategic planning.

Termly: 

• review the impact of strategies to improve attendance and plan for future action

Within six months: 

• develop a curriculum overview that aligns the school curriculum content and delivery to The New Zealand Curriculum

Every six months: 

• monitor student progress and review the effectiveness of teaching approaches, particularly in improving outcomes in writing for Māori students and boys  
• review and reflect on the effectiveness of engagement with all groups within the school community, including different ethnic groups, students and iwi 
• review the effectiveness of professional learning in middle leadership, its impact on leadership practice and student outcomes

Annually: 

• use a range of data to analyse, evaluate and report on learner progress, achievement and attendance and in relation to school goals, to inform decision-making about future improvement priorities.  

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

• improved regular attendance that meets, or exceeds, the Ministry of Education targets 
• a local curriculum that reflects the community’s priorities and meets the requirements of The New Zealand Curriculum 
• consistently high-quality teaching and assessment practices across all classrooms resulting in continuous improvement in the achievement of all learners, particularly for boys and Māori students in writing 
• ongoing communication and consultation with all groups within the community leading to meaningful engagement with families and iwi that informs school direction. 

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 

Shelley Booysen 
Director of Schools 

​​23 January 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