Kenakena 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  

​​Kenakena School​ located at Paraparaumu Beach, provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s mission is to create an environment that is exciting, motivating and positive for all learners to ‘develop key competencies for the future’.  

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

• Achievement information shows that a majority of learners achieved at or greater than the expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Improving equity for groups of learners, including Māori and Pacific students, remains a priority for the school.
• An inclusive school environment and culture supports student wellbeing; students show a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school.
• A majority of students attend school regularly; while the school has not yet met the Government’s target for regular attendance, leaders and teachers work alongside and support whānau to improve attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders effectively build relational trust within the teaching team and support staff, resulting in collaborative approaches to professional growth and responsive teaching programmes that meet the needs of learners.
• Shared leadership responsibilities increasingly prioritise school improvement; leaders and teachers are strengthening evaluative capabilities to better know and understand the impact of initiatives and strategies for improving learner outcomes.
• Leaders strongly advocate for the health and wellbeing of learners that ensures a positive and inclusive learning environment. 

• Students learn in an environment where they are encouraged to work collaboratively and to take risks with their learning; well-established routines and clear expectations result in calm learning-focused classes.
• Students needing additional in-class learning and behavioural support are identified and provided with effective assistance; this contributes to a positive and inclusive learning environment.
• Teachers use assessment information well, to inform teaching and learning and respond to the needs of each learner.

• The board, leaders and staff promote a positive, inclusive school culture, with a clear focus on improving learner engagement and wellbeing; support systems are well-established to reduce barriers to learning.
• The board is well informed, resulting in decision making that is based on quality information and best practice evidence.
• Leaders and teachers are strengthening the use of information from a range of sources to plan for ongoing improvement.
• The board, leaders and staff continue to strengthen partnerships with whānau and the wider community, including local iwi and hapū, to ensure active participation in the planning and decision-making of the school. 

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:  

• continue to improve attendance and achievement outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics for all learners
• further develop the school’s evaluation processes to monitor and review the most significant initiatives for increasing equity in attendance, progress and achievement for all students, particularly for Māori and Pacific learners
• strengthen partnerships with whānau, using the skills they bring, to improve student learning, engagement and attendance. 

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

Within three months: 

• review and refine a schoolwide evaluation approach that identifies the extent to which professional learning, and other initiatives, impact on improved learner outcomes and attendance  

Every six months: 

• continue to track, monitor, analyse and report on attendance, progress and achievement for priority groups of learners
• evaluate progress and achievement data with a particular focus for the ongoing impact of professional development on student achievement outcomes in the structured literacy acceleration and mathematics intervention programmes.
• build on current practice to strengthen engagement with whānau, to sustain active participation in the planning and decision-making of the school 

Annually: 

• continue to review, analyse and report on the effectiveness of professional learning and the impact of teaching and learning programmes on student progress and equity of achievement, particularly for Māori and Pacific learners
• review, analyse and report on the impact of initiatives to improve attendance
• continue to gather and review parent, whānau and mana whenua voice on the success of partnerships with the school and engagement with their children’s learning. 

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

• accelerated progress and achievement for priority groups of learners in reading, writing and mathematics
• improved and sustained levels of regular attendance rates
• enhanced internal evaluative practices that effectively assess the impact of actions and inform deliberate decision making for improving student outcomes, particularly for Māori and Pacific learners
• improved and sustained levels of engagement with whānau and the wider community, with increased participation in the decision-making process of the school. 

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​

​​10 March 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