Mangakino School

Findings

The school will transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement process, Te Ara Hurau. This Education Review Report will also serve as the Profile Report as the school moves to Te Ara Hurarau.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will also support the school in reporting their progress to the community.

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

1 Background and Context

What is the background and context for this school’s review?

Mangakino School provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school is located in a small town southwest of Tokoroa. Since the last ERO review in 2020 the school roll has grown from 37 to 46. All students are Māori. The principal resigned at the end of Term 1 2021. An acting principal was in place for the remainder of 2021 and a new permanent principal was appointed at the beginning of 2022.

2 Review and Development

How effectively is the school addressing its priorities for review and development?

Priorities identified for review and development

The following priorities were identified following the 2020 ERO review:

• continue to implement and embed recently developed systems and processes that guide teachers to promote positive learning and wellbeing outcomes for all students

• evaluate the effectiveness of recent changes and the impact on student wellbeing and learning

• fully implement appraisal processes for all staff

• further strengthen communication with the community

• further develop the curriculum to include careers and second language learning.

Progress

Due to ongoing changes to school personnel and multiple changes in leadership, progress in building teacher capability to promote positive learning outcomes for all learners has been compromised.

Since being appointed in Term 1 2022, the principal has demonstrated a well-managed approach to identifying and planning to address areas in the school that require review and development.

Priority has been given to improving levels of student achievement and engagement through:

• improving the quality of classroom teaching practice

• establishing learning focused relationships

• engaging with parents and whānau.

Specific progress during 2022 has been:

• the introduction of a more rigorous approach to planning and assessment. Teachers worked with the principal and Ministry of Education to identify each student’s achievement levels and established target students in each class. Teachers have used this information to plan more deliberately to address students’ learning needs in reading

• increasing opportunities for teachers to plan collaboratively to meet student learning needs

• a more rigorous approach to teacher appraisal

• recent substantial community consultation, led by the principal, which has provided a sound foundation for the review of school strategic goals and direction

• consultation and planning to inform the development of the school’s local curriculum ‘Managakino School’s Marau a Kura’

• te reo Māori is now included in the local curriculum.

3 Sustainable performance and self-review

How well placed is the school to sustain and continue to improve and review its performance?

The school is in a good position to begin a journey focused on improving and sustaining school performance. The principal has consulted widely across the school community to establish school direction and to plan for improved outcomes for student learning and engagement. A new board of trustees, elected mid-year 2022, is representative of the school community. A programme of ongoing board training is planned, and trustees are enthusiastic about learning more about governance roles and responsibilities.

Key next steps

Moving forward the school will prioritise:

• establishing relevant shared strategic goals and direction focused on raising levels of student achievement and engagement

• professional development for teachers in assessment for learning; and to improve teacher capability to systematically identify and address student learning needs, through the context of reading in 2023

• building internal evaluation capability to include regular, planned review to inform planning for improvements to student learning and engagement

• ongoing community consultation and deliberately planned community engagement to build a partnership in learning with parents and whānau.

Attention to these priorities is needed to establish and sustain a focus on improving student outcomes in terms of achievement and engagement.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed the ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

• board administration

• curriculum

• management of health, safety and welfare

• personnel management

• financial management

• asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

• emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

• physical safety of students

• teacher registration

• processes for appointing staff

• stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

• attendance

• school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

4 Recommendation

Recommendations, including any to other agencies for ongoing or additional support.

ERO recommends that the school continue to work with the Ministry of Education for ongoing support to address the areas for improvement in this report.

Conclusion

The school will transition into ERO’s Evaluation for Improvement process, Te Ara Hurau. This Education Review Report will also serve as the Profile Report as the school moves to Te Ara Hurarau.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will also support the school in reporting their progress to the community.

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

19 December 2022

About the school

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.