Wakefield School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 20 months of the Education Review Office and Wakefield 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 

Wakefield school is situated 30km from central Nelson and has been open since 1843. It provides education for students in years 1 to 6. In 2024 this provision will grow to include year 7 and in 2025 it will include year 8.

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

• deliver an excellent year 7 and 8 programme

• use the wellbeing focus to ensure all learners are flourishing

• ensure communication and partnerships between home and school are strong

• be ready to implement the refreshed NZ curriculum that reflects the village and rural school experience.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the local curriculum is supporting the achievement and wellbeing outcomes for all students and ensures equity and excellence in learning.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• The current strategic plan is focused on improving learning and wellbeing outcomes and growing the school into a full primary.

• The school has identified a need to improve equity and excellence in literacy and maths for some groups of students.

The school expects to see coherent and consistent practices across the whole school, improved outcomes in literacy and maths, and improved wellbeing outcomes for all students.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how well the local curriculum is supporting the achievement and wellbeing outcomes for all students and ensures equity and excellence in learning.

• Strong and positive partnerships with Ngāti Kuia that ensures a rich weaving of Mātauranga Māori throughout the curriculum and growing students’ self-awareness and sense of identity.

• Skilled and professional staff who work collaboratively to ensure positive outcomes for learners.

• A highly supportive community that actively engages and supports the students learning.

• Strong board of trustees who work closely with teachers and leaders to identify and provide support focused on continuous improvement.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• the development of systems and process which ensure consistency of practice and student pathways across the school

• continue to strengthen teachers understanding and use of te reo and Mātauranga Māori to ensure authentic integration within teaching and learning

• align teaching and learning with the understand, know, do framework of the refreshed curriculum and the common practice model.

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

6 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