Oxford Area School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 24 months of the Education Review Office and Oxford Area 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 

Oxford Area School is a rural school in Oxford, North Canterbury catering for students in Years 1 to 15.

Oxford Area School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• nurture meaningful connections and strengthen relationships with family, school, community and the world
• flourish in authentic learning by utilising the available expertise and knowledge
• empower learners to be risk takers and to seek excellence in all they do
• celebrate achievements to foster pride in ourselves, each other and the school.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which the implementation of learning design cycles and associated professional development, lead to positive outcomes for students in terms of equity and excellence in student achievement in reading, writing, mathematics and NCEA.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• the school has established targets for accelerating the achievement of students who are identified as being at risk of not achieving at the expected curriculum level in reading, writing, mathematics and NCEA
• curriculum design and delivery is a focus for professional development.

The school expects to see improved outcomes of equity and excellence in student achievement in reading, writing, mathematics and NCEA.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to implement learning design cycles to strengthen outcomes for students in terms of equity and excellence in student achievement in reading, writing, mathematics and NCEA:

• Teachers share high, clear and equitable expectations for student learning, achievement and progress.
• Internal evaluation practices support the gathering, analysis and use of data to improve individual and collective practice.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• using evaluative thinking and practices to ensure it meets the needs of all learners by delivering a responsive curriculum
• continuing to monitor and track outcomes for students in terms of equity and excellence in reading, writing, mathematics and NCEA.

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

7 June 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