Ohau 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 

Ohau School, located south of Levin, caters for students in Years 1 to 8.

The school’s vision to reach and teach each child is underpinned by the values of respect, kindness, determination, responsibility and honesty.

Ohau School’s strategic priorities focus on improving student achievement, building school culture, and honouring Te Tiriti O Waitangi.

A new school board was established in August 2023.

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

• Most students, including Māori learners, achieve at or above curriculum level expectations in reading and mathematics; in writing the majority of students achieve at or above expectations with disparity overall for boys. 
• Learners needing additional support are identified and provided with relevant and effective support to learn and progress.
• A range of programmes and initiatives have been put in place to promote and support wellbeing for learning.

Conditions to support learner success

• Strengthened, evidence-informed systems and processes ensure reliable information is gathered to inform strategic direction and enable staff to respond to student achievement information.
• A clear focus on wellbeing for learning, supported by programmes that promote a positive school culture, support learners to be engaged in learning.

• Learners benefit from an appropriately selected range of effective teaching practices.
• Positive and respectful teacher-learner relationships are evident in the classroom.
• A range of professional learning is in place to promote growth and development of teachers, aligning with the school’s identified priorities and strategic direction that includes the curriculum reflecting local contexts.
• A useful range of assessment practices have been strengthened and aligned to inform teaching practice.

• Regular wellbeing information is being gathered to monitor, promote and respond to learners’ wellbeing and engagement in learning.
• Parents and whānau have increasing opportunities to be involved in their child’s learning.
• Leaders are seeking to collaborate with key stakeholders, including whānau Māori, to build partnerships to inform the strengthening of the local curriculum and improve outcomes for students.
• The new board is in the early stages of understanding their roles and responsibilities.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• strengthen the board’s understanding of their governance roles and responsibilities 
• continue to monitor and respond to student voice regarding wellbeing for learning
• in partnership with the school community, refresh and strengthen the school’s local curriculum.

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

Within three months:

• all board members to undertake New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) training to support understanding of their roles and responsibilities
• meet with whānau Māori regarding strengthening of the school’s local curriculum and partnerships for learning.

Every six months:

• continue to analyse achievement information to inform next steps for learners and groups of learners and to respond to any disparity identified.

Annually:

• repeat and analyse the NZCER wellbeing survey to monitor progress and inform next steps in wellbeing for learning
• review the impact of teaching and learning programmes on achievement outcomes to know what has been successful and what needs further improvement
• ensure robust strategic planning and annual goals, aligned with the school’s priorities, continue to promote positive outcomes in all areas for all learners.

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

• strong governance by the board that is able to fulfil its legislative requirements and governance obligations
• the continued development and growth of a positive school culture for all
• strengthening of the local curriculum to reflect current practices and support equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.

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

5 June 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