Pauatahanui School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written as a result of the Education Review Office and Pauatahanui 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

Pauatahanui School delivers education for children in Years 1 to 8. It serves the community on the urban fringe to the northeast of Porirua City, adjacent to the Pāuatahanui Inlet.

Pauatahanui School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are for all students to:

• experience a range of opportunities that challenge and support all learners
• be successful in the development of literacy and mathematical skills
• regularly experience real life learning opportunities that utilise the local and wider community
• engage in culturally inclusive activities that integrate Te Ao, mātauranga Māori and other cultures
• experiencing a school environment that promotes active citizenship.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the recently refreshed local curriculum enriches student wellbeing, promotes their engagement and raises the achievement of students.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• to increase the engagement of students in learning
• to provide curriculum experiences that raise students’ awareness and knowledge of their local area, histories, and people
• for students to know and understand where they are culturally located
• to support the achievement and wellbeing of students across the school.

The school expects to see school leaders, teachers, and students actively engaged in learning about and demonstrating pride in, the identity and heritage of their area. It also expects staff to use information and up to date teaching strategies to plan and implement programmes to continue to improve student engagement, achievement and wellbeing

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how well the recently refreshed local curriculum enriches student wellbeing, promotes their engagement and raises the achievement of students:

• strong community engagement that supports student learning and a diverse curriculum
• children experience varied and responsive learning opportunities that engages and supports progress and positive achievement
• supportive leadership that seeks continual improvement in social and educational outcomes.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• developing a shared understanding of the importance of local stories and their place in the curriculum to strengthen understanding of how these impact on us today
• continuing to identify opportunities to engage in scientific learning using the inlet and surrounding areas as a context
• documenting recently developed strategies for the teaching of literacy to guide teacher 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

17 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