Newlands 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 

Newlands School, located in Newlands, Wellington provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. There is a growing number of English language learners on the roll. The school’s whakatauki ‘Te Rito o Te Harakeke’ reflects the community’s aspirations that all children will be nurtured, learn and succeed together.

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 

In the August 2022 ERO report, it identified that the school and ERO have worked together to evaluate how effectively interventions and programmes are accelerating the achievement of all learners in literacy and mathematics, with a particular focus on priority learners. 

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

A comprehensive review that supported the school to accelerate the achievement of all learners in literacy and mathematics, with a particular focus on priority learners.

• As a result of the evaluation, professional learning that strengthened teacher practice and targeted students’ needs enabled the majority of learners to achieve equitable outcomes at all levels of the school.
• Responsive initiatives and interventions have resulted in accelerated progress for many identified learners, in particular Māori learners.

A strengthening of schoolwide systems and processes, curriculum delivery and teacher practice focused on improving learning outcomes for all learners.

• Evaluation processes and ongoing review have strengthened schoolwide systems and processes focused on improving and sustaining progress and achievement.
• A range of assessment information is effectively used by teachers to plan and adapt their teaching practice to respond learners’ strengths and needs.  

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that changes to teacher practice resulting from an intensive review of teaching and learning in mathematics, led to an overall improvement in student achievement and accelerated progress for many learners.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action was to develop and implement curriculum guidelines and expectations that strengthened teachers’ professional practice and increased student engagement and achievement. 

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• A large majority of learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Boys are not achieving as well in writing as girls; addressing this remains an ongoing school priority.
• An inclusive culture and targeted learning support programmes promote wellbeing and achievement of learners with additional needs; English language learners show sustained progress.
• The school has made progress towards, but is not yet meeting, the government’s target for regular attendance; this remains an ongoing priority for the school.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders form strong connections and effectively collaborate with whānau and learners to enact a shared vision focused on improving achievement and wellbeing.
• Quality evidence, from observations of teacher practice and learner outcomes, is used by leaders to evaluate the implementation of strategic targets and plan next steps to improve learners’ achievement.
• Leaders model and build an inclusive and welcoming culture where students feel valued, and their learning and wellbeing is well supported.

• Well-designed teaching programmes encourage students to question, problem-solve and engage in deep, meaningful learning across the curriculum.
• Assessment information is used well to identify teaching and appropriate learning opportunities, and to provide students with constructive feedback.
• Teachers are increasingly integrating te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori throughout the curriculum to extend students’ knowledge and understanding.

• The board represents and works well with whānau and the community to guide the school’s strategic direction, and to prioritise improvement goals related to achievement, learning and wellbeing.
• Strong connections with Ngā Hau e Whā o Paparārangi Marae, neighbouring Te Korowai o Horokiwi kura and highly engaged whānau, enrich learning through the school’s local curriculum.
• Parents and whānau are respected partners in learning; they are well informed, and provided with many opportunities to support, participate and actively collaborate in their child’s learning. 

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• plan and implement a schoolwide structured literacy and mathematics professional learning focus on engagement and achievement in writing, with a particular focus on boys’ achievement
• further strengthen schoolwide systems and processes to support the achievement and wellbeing of English language learners
• continue to strengthen the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori learning across the school
• implement strategies to increase regular attendance.

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

Every six months:

• monitor and report on the impact of the structured literacy, and mathematics professional development on learning programmes to support learners’ progress to provide targeted support for identified learners in writing    
• review systems and processes that are in place to support the learning and wellbeing of English language learners; identify and modify any aspects that require further strengthening
• continue to measure the use and improved capability of staff and learners in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori though observations, and teacher and student reflections; use this information to provide targeted support
• review and report on progress with strategies for increasing regular attendance.

Annually:

• analyse schoolwide achievement in writing, including identified learners, to report to the board and to strategically plan actions that will improve achievement and learning outcomes
• review the implementation of the structured literacy and mathematics programmes schoolwide; identify initiatives that have been most successful in accelerating learners’ progress and develop next steps for the annual improvement plan
• review and evaluate systems and processes in place to support the learning and wellbeing of English language learners; use this information to strategically plan and shape future programmes and initiatives
• identify patterns of increased capability of staff, students and whānau in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori learning across the school; review and strategically plan next steps.

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

• improved attendance, achievement outcomes and accelerated progress in writing, especially boys’
• learners who confidently and successfully achieve and can apply structured literacy and mathematics strategies in their learning
• English language learners progress is accelerated through well-structured and aligned schoolwide systems and processes
• strengthened capability of staff, learners and whānau in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori. 

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
Director of Schools (Acting)

3 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