Newtown 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 

​​Newtown School​ located in Wellington, provides education for learners from Years 1 to 6. There are two full immersion classes, Ngāti Kotahitanga, for learners from Years 1 to 8 and, for learners in the English medium classes, a te reo Māori bilingual class available one day a week. The school reflects Newtown’s multicultural community where more than half of its students are English language learners. Newtown School’s values are whanangatanga, kia manahau, kia manaaki, kia whakapau kaha, kia ngākau hihiri. 

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 past three years, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate how well professional learning about bicultural responsiveness is embedded in teaching practice, and what impact it has on the school’s valued outcomes for its tamariki. 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expects to see: 

A cohesive, and evidence-based evaluation that measures the impact of teachers’ professional learning about cultural responsiveness on learners’ achievement and hauora. 

• Well analysed information shows that an inclusive, culturally responsive curriculum enables learners to sustain progress and, for many, to show accelerated achievement. 
• Leaders and teachers’ increased knowledge of mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori has strengthened culturally responsive teaching practices enabling targeted interventions and accelerated achievement for many learners. 

That this evaluation is guiding and informing future decision making, planning and resourcing. 

• The board of trustees works in a co-governance partnership to enact their kaupapa; that all learners will equitably achieve and succeed as tangata whenua and tangata tiriti. 
• Strategic future planning and resourcing is focused on embedding and sustaining bicultural practices and improving achievement. 

Other Findings 

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that strengthened bicultural practices resulted in deepened learning relationships between staff, students and whānau, and the development of a clear, strategic determination to effect te Tiriti o Waitangi with integrity. 

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action was the improved achievement of many students and increased pride in their own language, culture and identity. 

Part B: Current State 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners are becoming increasingly equitable and excellent. 

• Schoolwide achievement information shows that the majority of learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. 
• Pacific learners are achieving as well as their school peers, while Māori learners are not achieving as well in writing or mathematics. 
• An inclusive culture and highly responsive teaching practices support the wellbeing and achievement of learners with additional needs; this is particularly evident in the targeted support that is provided for English language learners. 
• The school has made progress towards, but is not yet meeting, the Ministry of Education’s target for regular attendance; this remains an ongoing focus for the school. 

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership fosters and sustains a culture committed to quality teaching, and equity and excellence in learner outcomes. 

• Leaders use quality evidence to evaluate how well learning targets and initiatives are implemented and strategically plan next steps to improve learners’ achievement. 
• Professional learning that deepens teachers’ knowledge, develops consistent quality professional practice and improves student outcomes, is valued, prioritised and planned for by leaders.

Teachers use evidence-based, culturally responsive strategies that enable all learners to participate in purposeful and well-paced learning opportunities. 

• Teachers deliberately prioritise the integration of quality te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori throughout the curriculum to increase students’ knowledge and sense of belonging. 
• Quality assessment information is effectively used to plan for, evaluate and report on the accelerated progress and achievement of learners. 
• Local contexts are reflected throughout the curriculum so that students can relate to learning; seeing themselves, their identities and their cultures.

Planning for improvement is well informed by evidence and in partnership with the school’s community. 

• The co-governance model enables the Board to effectively represent the school’s community, including mana whenua, and to collaboratively identify and develop improvement priorities that promote and resource achievement and wellbeing for all learners. 
• The school’s vision, direction and priorities reflect those set out by whānau and are anchored in a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 
• Parents and whānau are respected partners in learning; they are well informed and provided with 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 plan focused on improved engagement and achievement in writing 
• work alongside parents and whānau and co-construct a plan for improving rates of attendance 
• continue to strengthen the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori learning across the school to increase students’ knowledge and sense of belonging. 

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

Within six months: 

• develop a responsive implementation plan to guide teacher professional learning focused on strengthening learner engagement, achievement and acceleration in writing 
• undertake a data-informed review of literacy in the middle and senior school; prioritise and plan for students who require structured learning support 
• review the delivery of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori learning across the school; develop a plan focused on strengthening and sustaining the capability of staff and students. 

Every six months: 

• review the effectiveness of teachers’ professional practice through classroom observations and learners’ achievement in writing; report progress and planned next steps to the board 
• monitor and report the progress and attendance of targeted groups who are receiving specialised support to their whānau and to the board. 

Annually: 

• analyse schoolwide achievement in writing, including that of identified learners; use this data to report to the board, and to strategically plan actions that will improve the achievement and learning outcomes of all 
• review the progress of students identified as requiring structured literacy support; identify initiatives that have been most successful in accelerating their progress and develop next steps for strategic planning 
• 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 
• review learner attendance, progress and achievement against the school’s improvement priorities and goals to inform decision making. 

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

• improved achievement outcomes and accelerated progress in writing 
• learners who confidently and successfully apply structured literacy strategies in their learning 
• strengthened capability of staff, learners and whānau in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori 
• more students attending regularly. 

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