Pukehamoamoa School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Pukehamoamoa 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 

Pukehamoamoa School is a rural primary school that provides education for students from Years 1 to 8. The school’s mission statement ‘Strength through knowledge – Kaha mā te mātauranga’ is supported by the shared values of ‘knowledge and understanding of others, knowledge of thinking, knowledge of learning, knowledge of ourselves, knowledge of our past and knowledge of communication’.

Pukehamoamoa School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• raising achievement in literacy and mathematics for all learners, with a particular focus on those who are not yet at expected curriculum levels
• to strengthen teaching practice to respond to learner needs, including cultural responsiveness
• to continue to grow an inclusive culture of mutual respect through community partnerships.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which teacher professional learning impacts on learner outcomes in mathematics and literacy.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• an understanding that strong literacy and mathematical skills provide the foundation for all learning 
• the commitment to professional learning in literacy and mathematics will support ongoing focus on improved and equitable outcomes for all learners
• consistent teaching expectations aligned with best practice, research and evidence promote learner achievement. 

The school expects to see:

• continuous progress in literacy and mathematics over all levels of the school and accelerated progress for those who need this
• parity of achievement outcomes in literacy and mathematics for all learners
• continued growth in teacher capacity to implement effective teaching strategies and engage with formative assessment to raise achievement in literacy and mathematics.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the impact of improved teacher practice on learner outcomes in mathematics and literacy:

• a culture of trust, with committed and collaborative leadership and teachers who are focused on raising student achievement 
• a respectful and inclusive environment that supports learning and teaching 
• access to targeted professional learning opportunities in the teaching of mathematics and literacy
• well established systems and processes that monitor student progress.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• continued growth in teacher capacity and capability through formalised professional learning opportunities to embed evidence-based best practice
• continued on-going monitoring of progress and measuring of outcomes, with a focus on equitable outcomes for all learners. 

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 

23 April 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