Lower Moutere 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

Lower Moutere School is located in the Tasman District, providing education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school vision to be the best we can be – kia kaha - kia maia, is underpinned by the value of Respect – for ourselves, others and our school.

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

Since the previous ERO report of January 2023, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate how effectively the school’s approach to teaching mathematics accelerated progress and increased engagement in learning for all students.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

Learners continuing to show high levels of engagement and increased rates of acceleration.

• School assessment information shows most learners now make ongoing and sustained progress during their time at the school.
• Assessment information shows that increased rates of acceleration in mathematics is evident; this remains a focus for the school.
• Learner feedback indicates an increasingly positive attitude towards learning and willingness to take greater risks with mathematical challenges resulting improved outcomes.

Continued consistency in the teaching of mathematics across the school, with shared language and understanding of best practice.

• Staff have undertaken targeted professional learning and development; this has resulted in improved and consistent formative assessment practices across the school.
• Teachers have an increased their understanding of accelerated learning practices that enable direct support for those learners who need additional assistance.
• The upskilling of teacher aides has provided specialised individualised learning opportunities for targeted groups of learners, resulting in improved outcomes.
• Teacher’s reflection and review of teaching programmes has strengthened the consistency of the mathematic curriculum design and delivery.

Other Findings 

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the accelerated rates of progress for some groups of learners within the target groups.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• Most learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Learners who need additional support benefit from multiple targeted interventions; their learning progress and wellbeing needs are identified, closely monitored and specifically addressed.
• Learners experience a strong sense of belonging within the school community; they are well known by all staff and positive relationships result in high levels of meaningful pastoral care.
• A large majority of learners attend school regularly; however, the school is not yet meeting the Ministry of Education’s 2024 target for regular attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders foster and sustain a culture of high relational trust at all levels of the school leading to shared understandings and strong collaborative practices.
• Leadership effectively grows teacher capabilities across the school; this supports the effective provision of targeted interventions that improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes.
• Staff have many leadership opportunities; their strengths are valued and utilised effectively schoolwide.

• The school curriculum provides learners with meaningful learning opportunities reflecting the local context and it is responsive to their interests and needs.
• Teaching staff plan collaboratively to ensure shared responsibility and high levels of consistent teaching and learning across the school.
• The school is well positioned to adapt to and implement the refreshed of the national curriculum and shows a readiness for this through highly reflective and improvement focused practices.

• Learner wellbeing is prioritised; the school’s responsive culture and wide range of initiatives and meaningful innovations ensure learners are purposefully at the centre of all decision making.
• Strong relationships and partnerships are fostered with families and local community; these strengthen positive outcomes for learners.
• High levels of reciprocal engagement with other local schools and links with local iwi are helping to raise cultural competencies of staff; this is strengthening the integration of te ao Māori.
• The Board is well informed, resulting in decision making that is based on high quality information and best practice evidence.

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• continue to work with whānau to plan and implement strategies to improve rates of regular attendance
• plan relevant staff development to build a shared understanding and consistency across the school for ongoing improvement in literacy and mathematics
• continue to integrate Ngā Kawatau me ngā Tūmanakotanga o Te Tauihu – The Aspirations and Expectations of Te Tauihu) to enhance the local curriculum and learning experiences.

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

Within six months:

• review current strategies that support raising attendance and identify the most effective practices to refine the attendance plan
• review and adapt assessment practices to reflect the refreshed curriculum requirements.

Every six months:

• review the attendance plan, identify any emerging barriers to attendance and further develop strategies to support greater learner engagement
• continue to maintain and review professional development opportunities to inform consistency and use of high-quality teaching practices that reflect the curriculum changes.

Annually:

• consult with parents and whānau about how effectively the embedding of Ngā Kawatau me ngā Tūmanakotanga o Te Tauihu – The Aspirations and Expectations of Te Tauihu is meeting the needs of learners and modify programmes accordingly
• report to the board on the effectiveness of the school's implementation of the refreshed curriculum and identified next steps for ongoing improvement.

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

• sustained levels of increased regular attendance
• strengthened knowledge and understanding of te ao Māori reflected in teaching and learning across the school
• high-quality teaching and learning sustained and enhanced across the school
• sustained and improved outcomes for learners in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

6 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