Hutt Valley High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Hutt Valley High 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.nzis

Context 

Hutt Valley High School - Te Kura Tuarua o Te Awakairangi is a co-educational state secondary school in the Hutt Valley providing an education for learners from Year 9 to Year 13.

Hutt Valley High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• Purposeful and engaging learning - provide learning where all students are engaged, making progress and achieving with a specific focus on our Māori ākonga.

• Inspiring curriculum leadership - support teachers to provide quality teaching and learning.

• Identity, inclusion and belonging - foster a climate of safety, care and connectedness for all through the Hutt Valley High School values. Commit to the growth, dignity, inclusion and mana of all, guided by the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

• Positive partnerships - develop strong, sustainable and reciprocal partnerships with whānau and the community to improve participation.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate what data and evidence can contribute to the school’s understanding of how an inclusive learning environment teachers improve student outcomes.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that through a visible learning lens, teachers and students will produce an inclusive learning environment as teachers respond to feedback, observations, professional discussions and Professional Learning and Development (PLD) for improved student outcomes. This will occur because teachers will:

1. Know all of their students

2. Plan for success for all of their students

3. Make learning visible for all students

4. Create and have high standards for all students.

The school expects to see increasing numbers of Māori ākonga able to access tertiary level courses and pathways when they leave school, a higher level of involvement in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori, kapa haka, performing and creative arts, and student leadership roles.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to embed visible learning practices in classrooms:

• a structured and progressive Professional Learning Plan that is informed by culturally responsive teaching and learning practices

• positive relationships leading to calm and purposeful learning in classrooms

• a culture of continuous student-centered and staff review and evaluation that informs outcomes and next steps

• identification, planning and flexible learning models responsive to the needs of learners, including those who benefit from additional support.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• PLD for all staff led by Senior Leadership Team and Heads of Learning Areas in which visible learning practices are shared and evaluated.

• developing a shared understanding of how teachers can self-evaluate and engage in dialogue to learn what is working and what isn’t working for their students

• evaluating the impact of this work on groups of learners by tracking progress and incorporating the views of teachers, students, and parent/whanau groups.

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.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

27 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