Otari School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Ōtari 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

Te Kura o Ōtari - Ōtari School is in the Wellington suburb of Wilton. The school caters for students in Years 1 to 8 offering multi-level classes in three distinctive strands: Māori Immersion, English Medium and Montessori classes. Each strand focuses on ‘inspiring a love of learning’.

Ōtari School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• Improve outcomes for all students, particularly Māori and Pasifika, children from low socio-economic homes and children with additional learning needs.

• Accelerate progress of students performing ‘below’ expectation.

• Enhance the delivery of the curriculum, and the enjoyment of learning, through a variety of indoor and outdoor experiences that integrate subjects and develop academic, social, and practical skills.

• Ensure staff are provided with the tools, development and practical support needed so that they can fulfil their roles with expertise, enjoyment, and satisfaction.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school’s curriculum initiatives, including the use of literacy writing frameworks and the localised curriculum, promote increased engagement, progress, and achievement for all ākonga.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• that ākonga will see their languages, cultures, identities, histories and strengths woven through the curriculum

• to maintain a focus on the progress and achievement of each ākonga by developing and implementing consistent and rigorous assessment systems and practices

• that the school’s connections to mana whenua, will provide ākonga with experiences that reflect the local area.

The school expects to see an engaging, refreshed curriculum for ākonga which continues to be learner-centred, creative, and collaborative, reflective of who ākonga are, who they can be, their whakapapa, and their connection to whenua. Strengthened assessment practices will enable the school to inclusively respond to and meet the needs of individual ākonga.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to create an engaging and responsive curriculum, which builds on its strengths as a multi-strand kura with multiple pathways to equity and success:

• experienced staff with school-wide commitment to Te Reo Māori, me ōna tikanga, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori learning

• teachers and leaders who are responsive to learning needs and committed to an inclusive learning environment

• collaborative and capable leadership with shared values, combining the strengths of all three learning strands.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• an evaluation of how tools such as He Manu Tuhituhi can be used to identify progress in the Rūmaki that best reflects the strengths and identifies the needs of Māori medium students

• collaborative and strand-based professional development, moderation and sharing of strategies to refine literacy approaches used across all three strands, in particular to support the development of writing

• enhancing the Graduate Profile to include an understanding of mana whenua

• strengthening processes to ensure whānau, kaiako, school leadership and the Board of Trustees have a clear understanding of what is working well, and for which ākonga, and how the school can support all ākonga to develop their maximum potential.

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

18 October 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