Ashgrove 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 

Tūtira Ashgrove School is located in Rangiora, North Canterbury, providing education for students from Years 1 to 8. The school’s STAR Values (Service, Trust, Positive Attitude, Respect) and Five Ways to Wellbeing (Take Notice, Connect, Give, Keep Learning, Be Active) are part of its vision of Growing Together for Success. Tūtira Ashgrove School hosts the Pītau-Allenvale Satellite unit for North Canterbury. 

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: 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 B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• A large majority of learners, including Māori, achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; leaders have identified these areas as strategic priorities to further improve progress and achievement for all learners.
• Learners have a strong sense of belonging supported by consistently used inclusive and wellbeing practices.
• The majority of learners regularly attend school; the school has yet to meet the Ministry of Education’s national target and strategies are in place to improve learners’ regular attendance.

• Leaders and teachers use assessment data and feedback from learners and the community well to collaboratively plan and monitor the school’s improvement priorities.
• Relational trust between staff and learners is evident at every level of the school and supports the achievement of the strategic priorities and vision.
• Leaders build educationally focused relationships with Puketeraki Kāhui Ako and community groups which are improving learner outcomes.

• Learners have a curriculum that increasingly reflects local contexts in ways that learners can connect with their identity, language and culture, as well as the important cultural histories and stories of the school's location.
• A school-wide focus on building teacher capability ensures learning through clear instruction and planning to meet the differing needs of learners. 
• Learners are well engaged in learning through a range effective of teaching strategies. 

• Leaders and teachers increasingly value the diversities of learners’ identities, cultures and learning needs and clearly reflect these in the school’s strategic initiatives and actions.
• A strength-based approach is used by leaders and teachers to identify learners’ abilities and needs, reduce barriers and improve access to learning; teachers focus on student wellbeing and use consistent, restorative approaches.
• Effective systems and processes are in place for pastoral care through strong, mutually trusting relationships between the board, teachers, learners and whānau.
• Strong mutually trusting partnerships and collaboration between the school and the community actively informs school planning and reviews of initiatives and actions.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• embed high-quality teaching and effective assessment practices for learners to thrive and achieve at their highest level in reading, writing and mathematics
• continue to ensure the diversities of learners, teachers and whānau are valued, celebrated and visible in learning within an inclusive learning environment to further enrich learning
• further develop strategies to improve regular attendance.

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

Within six months:

• develop effective assessment practices in mathematics school-wide 
• evaluate and refine school-wide reading and writing teaching and assessment practices to further improve outcomes for learners
• use assessment information to provide targeted interventions to accelerate learning for learners not achieving at expected levels in reading and writing.

Every six months:

• review how well the diversities of learners, teachers and whānau are being valued, celebrated and made visible in learning
• use analysed data and information to see whether high-quality, evidence-based reading, writing and mathematics programmes are becoming consistent school-wide, good practice is sustained and further improvement in outcomes for learners are evident
• evaluate and refine attendance strategies.

Annually:

• ensure effective evidence-based reading, writing and mathematics programmes are in place school-wide and strengthen teachers’ capacity to further improve the progress and achievement for all learners
• use effective assessment practices in mathematics to inform teaching practice and learning programmes.

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

• evidence-based approaches to the teaching of writing are implemented and practised school-wide to further improve outcomes for learners
• teachers using effective mathematics assessment information to know an overall achievement level for learners and identify next learning steps
• the cultural histories and stories of the school's location and the diversities of learners, teachers and whānau are valued, celebrated and visible in learning
• improved regular attendance rates.

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

24 September 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