Fergusson Intermediate (Trentham)

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 

Fergusson Intermediate (Trentham), in Upper Hutt Wellington, provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. The school vision, Amplify the Awesome, is underpinned by the school values of mana ahua ake, manawaroa, ngakau pono, aroha (sense of self, resilience, integrity, empathy) 

There are two parts to this report. 

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

Part A: Current State  

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

The school is working towards ensuring all learners are making progress and achieving well. 

• The majority of students are working at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; within that group, a large number are working above expectation. 
• Disparity in achievement for some students is evident; most Māori students in Year 7 achieve at a higher rate than their peers in writing. 
• Students confidently participate in learning opportunities beyond the classroom; the school has a strong relationship with mana whenua engaging students and developing learning opportunities. 
• Regular attendance is below the Ministry of Education 2024 attendance target; the school is working with parents, whānau and other agencies to support improving regular attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

School leadership is further strengthening systems and processes to improve outcomes for learners. 

• The leadership team is embedding clear expectations around the delivery of learning and responsive approaches to teaching, learning and assessment practices to progress student achievement. 
• Individual student needs are targeted through schoolwide assessment and analysis to ensure relevant interventions are in place to improve learner outcomes. 
• Leaders deliberately collect whānau feedback and ideas to inform strategic initiatives and improvement goals. 
• Leadership has built an inclusive culture of wellbeing, to lift equitable learner outcomes.

Teachers are working to establish a consistent approach to teaching and learning programs; student engagement levels vary. 

• Teachers track and monitor progress and achievement; teaching strategies used support and extend learners to improve outcomes. 
• Professional learning is facilitated well by leadership to support teaching practice; the school recognise the need to formalise systems and processes for professional learning. 
• Culturally responsive practices are being strengthened to reflect the community, encourage student attendance and improve outcomes.

Leaders and the board are establishing conditions to bring about school improvement. 

• Students with complex learning needs are well supported to achieve educational goals; teachers and whānau work together to develop individual education plans that support student success. 
• The school is reviewing the local curriculum using student and teacher feedback and ideas with a focus on engaging students and improving outcomes and attendance. 
• Evaluation capability is strengthening so leadership is aware which initiatives have been successful to inform ongoing strategic actions. 
• Systems and processes are used increasingly well to improve evaluation capability strengthening the analysis and impact of improvement initiatives. 

Part B: Where to next?  

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• strengthen the schoolwide approach to teaching the local curriculum 
• develop a system that supports professional growth with a focus on reflective practice, developing teacher capability, collaboration and planning for successful student outcomes 
• broaden assessment practices to support teachers and students to evaluate ongoing progress, achievement to improve student outcomes 
• further strengthen processes to improve student attendance. 

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

Within six months: 

• continue to review the local curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning with a focus on engagement, progress and achievement outcomes for all students 
• strengthen the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori learning across the school as part of the local curriculum 
• develop systems and processes to support professional development across the school 
• review and refine current assessment and moderation practice to support a responsive approach teaching and learning to accelerate achievement. 

Every six months: 

• evaluate the local curriculum and impact of the school-wide approach to teaching and learning using student, teacher and whanau voice review the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori to know what has been successful and what needs further improvement to inform ongoing strategic direction 
• evaluate the impact of systems and processes that support professional development and review plans for professional development 
• continue to collate and analyse progress and achievement information to target students who are at most risk of underachievement and plan for acceleration. 

Annually: 

• review the impact of teaching, learning and wellbeing programmes on achievement outcomes and plan further improvement priorities and initiatives 
• analyse and report attendance patterns and trends to inform the ongoing planning for improving the regular attendance of students. 

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

• a schoolwide approach to teaching the local curriculum including consistent use of reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori 
• schoolwide processes and systems that support professional growth focussing on reflective practice, collaboration and planning for successful student outcomes 
• a consistent approach to assessment practices that supports teaching and learning to improve progress and achievement outcomes 
• improved levels of attendance that meet or exceed the Ministry of Education’s target for regular attendance. 

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 

​​13 December 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