Greytown 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 

Greytown School, located in Greytown, South Wairarapa, provides education for learners from Years 1 to 8. Greytown School’s ’SHARP’ values reflect the community’s aspirations that students will act and behave with integrity, able to make informed choices and decisions. A new leadership team has been established with the appointment of two deputy principals.

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 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

In the previous May 2023 ERO report, the school and ERO have worked together to evaluate how effectively the mathematics programme meets the needs of all learners and accelerates their progress in mathematics.

The school expected to see:

Improved and accelerated achievement in mathematics across the school.

• Ongoing strategic and comprehensive review of schoolwide mathematics programmes have strengthened teachers’ professional practice and evaluation processes focused on improving and sustaining achievement.
• Well-designed initiatives and interventions have resulted in accelerated progress for many identified learners, in particular Māori learners.

That the review will support the alignment of systems and processes, the development of consistent classroom expectations, strengthened cultural practices and lift the achievement of all learners.

• Aligned and well understood ‘Greytown School Expectations’ for the teaching of mathematics have been implemented across the school ensuring growing consistency of programme delivery and improved achievement.
• Evaluation findings guide the board, leaders and staff in decision-making, build collective capability and align systems and processes for sustained improvement in mathematics achievement.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that the successful implementation of quality teaching practices had a significant impact on raising students’ progress and achievement in mathematics.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is improved student engagement and achievement due to the ongoing effect of targeted professional learning and the implementation of mathematics curriculum guidelines and expectations. 

Part B: Current State 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• School achievement information shows that most learners achieve at or above curriculum level expectations in mathematics; and a high majority of learners achieve at or above curriculum levels in reading and writing.
• Boys and Māori learners are not achieving as well in writing, and this disparity has increased over time; school leaders are strengthening schoolwide structured literacy programmes.
• The school is not yet meeting the government’s target for regular attendance; this remains an ongoing focus for the school.

Conditions to support learner success

• To achieve the school’s strategic vision and improvement goals, the newly formed leadership team is building a culture of collaboration where shared expectations of quality teaching practice promote student progress and achievement.
• Leaders use a range of quality evidence and assessment information to monitor schoolwide achievement and evaluate how well strategies and interventions improve outcomes for learners.
• Leaders model and build an inclusive and welcoming culture where all students feel valued, and their learning and wellbeing is well supported.

• Teachers use explicit instruction in learning strategies that enable learners to think critically, and problem solve.
• Staff are increasingly integrating te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori throughout the curriculum to extend students’ knowledge and understanding.
• Learners needing additional support are promptly identified and are provided with relevant, individualised and effective support to learn and make progress. 

• The board represents and works with whānau and the community to guide the school’s strategic direction, and prioritises students’ progress, achievement and wellbeing.
• Iwi and whānau have gifted stories and resources to support the school to develop a rich curriculum reflective of its unique local context and values the inclusion of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.
• Parents and whānau are valued and respected partners in learning; they are well informed and are offered many opportunities to support, and actively participate in their child’s learning.

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• implement a schoolwide professional learning focus on structured literacy and mathematics that embeds high quality teacher practice and promotes student engagement and achievement, in particular the achievement of Māori learners and boys
• develop aligned, consistent and well understood schoolwide assessment expectations for literacy and mathematics
• continue to develop the localised curriculum in partnership with iwi and whānau to promote active student engagement, attendance and accelerate the achievement of all learners
• continue to monitor and focus on improving schoolwide attendance. 

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

Every six months:

• review the effectiveness of teachers’ professional practice through classroom observations and learners’ achievement in structured literacy and structured mathematics; report progress and planned next steps to the board
• monitor and report on the development of schoolwide assessment expectations to the board
• review progress on the development and enactment of the localised curriculum through classroom observations and teacher and student reflections
• report to the board on the impact of initiatives implemented to improve schoolwide attendance.

Annually:

• analyse and report to the board on schoolwide progress and achievement in structured literacy and mathematics, including that of identified learners to inform decision making and actions
• review progress of school achievement processes and expectations; identify initiatives that have been most successful and use this information in schoolwide strategic planning
• review the localised curriculum and its impact on learning across the school; strategically plan next steps
• report to the board on schoolwide achievement: strategically plan next steps.

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

• improved student achievement outcomes and accelerated progress in structured literacy and mathematics for all learners
• robust assessment systems and processes that inform teachers’ planning and practice, and support all learners to know how well they are achieving and what they need to learn next
• a rich localised curriculum developed in partnership with iwi and whānau that promotes active student engagement and accelerates the progress and achievement of all learners
• improved schoolwide 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

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

4 April 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