Koputaroa School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Koputaroa 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 

Koputaroa School is located in rural Horowhenua and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school prioritises fostering a nurturing and caring environment where children are encouraged to be actively involved in the learning and teaching process. The school is proud of its 132-year history and traditional community events that have been upheld through the generations.

Koputaroa School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• enhance our innovative learning environment

• encourage and inspire students and whānau in their learning

• increase hauora (wellbeing) for all ākonga (learners)

• embrace our unique country school.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school is implementing culturally responsive practices which include:

• the development and implementation of a progressive te reo Māori improvement plan

• systems, processes and practices for effective teaching and learning.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• the school recognises the need to develop and implement a comprehensive improvement plan for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori across the school

• to strengthen systems, processes and practices for effective teaching and learning.

The school expects to see:

• the knowledge and aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi embedded in the enacted curriculum

• the integration of te reo Māori across the curriculum, and a progressive programme of instruction linked to the national curriculum and responsive to learner needs

• consistent assessment for learning practices applied to both English and Māori learning contexts

• information relating to learner progress, in both English and Māori learning contexts, effectively scrutinised and analysed to identify strategies and interventions to support improved outcomes.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the evaluation and achieving its goals.

• The school board and leaders are committed to providing the conditions for staff and students to engage in learning about te ao Māori, te reo Māori me ona tikanga.

• The school community is invested in participating in school-wide activities, events and decision making that support high levels of learner engagement and success.

• Agentic learning is highly valued and highly visible from Years 1 to 8.

• Collaborative practices are highly valued and staff are collectively committed to providing supportive, engaging and motivating learning experiences.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• school leaders increasing engagement with whānau, hapū and iwi in the development of a te reo Māori improvement plan

• all staff participating in professional learning in te reo Māori, monitored through the professional growth cycle

• school leaders investigating professional learning for effective pedagogical practice in second language acquisition

• consistent assessment and moderation practices that can be applied across both English and Māori learning contexts

• strengthening data literacy and effective internal evaluation of practice.

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

21 June 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