Breens Intermediate

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 

Breens Intermediate school is in northwest Christchurch. It provides learning for students in Years 7 and 8. The school’s vision is for everyone to achieve their best, every single time. The school has a purpose-built technology centre that is used by five other schools.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: an evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the board’s future strategic direction.

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the schools 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 achieve to expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics over the two-year timeframe, within a caring and inclusive school culture.

• Learners who need extra support are identified early and make good progress supported by a range of evidenced-based strategies which effectively reduce barriers to learning. 
• Māori learners achieve and progress at similar rates to their peers over the two-year timeframe.
• Learners express a strong sense of belonging and their social, emotional and learning needs are well supported through the Tōtara Mai wellbeing programme.
• A large majority of learners attend school regularly in relation to the Ministry of Education’s attendance target; this is supported by timely communication with parents and whānau.

Conditions to support learner success

Strategic and effective leadership builds and sustains high levels of teacher practice that improve outcomes for all learners.

• Leaders are deliberately building the capacity and capability of all teachers through specific professional learning that supports improved outcomes for students.
• Leaders coach and support each other to ensure that leadership work is focused on monitoring learner progress against the strategic goals. 
• Leaders build and sustain high levels of relational trust and effective collaboration across the school that reinforces professional accountability.

Curriculum is increasingly relevant and responsive to meet the changing needs of intermediate age learners with input from teachers, learners and the wider community informing the design process.

• Local contexts are reflected throughout the curriculum with multiple opportunities for Māori and Pacific learners to actively contribute to school life and learning contexts that reflect their identity and culture. 
• Teachers demonstrate a strong focus on teaching the basics of literacy and mathematics first, while also offering wide range of engaging and authentic learning opportunities.
• Teachers plan and maintain a well-balanced week, with off-device, on-device, practical, active and quiet learning time within a calm, orderly and purposeful learning environment.

Organisational systems that underpin successful schooling are strongly embedded and well aligned.

• Leaders and teachers are systematic in data collection, analysis, review and response, and all teachers are included in conversations about data trends and next steps for each student’s learning.
• Leaders regularly connect with whānau and community to gather their ideas about the modification of the two-year curriculum.
• Learner engagement is increasingly strengthened by staff affirming positive behaviour and reinforcing school wide expectations that encourage a climate reflective of the school’s shared values. 
• Transitions into school at Year 7 and out of school at Year 8 are well planned using established connections with high schools and contributing schools to best support learners’ needs.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• Ensure assessment is visible as part of teacher practice and that it drives the design of learning over time so there is a clear link between the purpose of learning and outcomes for learners.  
• Support learners to see assessment as essential in helping them monitor and improve their progress.
• Continue to prioritise connection with whānau and seek their feedback in responsive and considered ways. 
• Better use the school's student management system in ways that promote students to have more agency in their learning and assessment.

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

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers purposefully track, monitor and support those learners who have not yet made accelerated progress
• leaders and teachers intentionally weave te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori opportunities through teaching and learning contexts 
• continue to adapt and personalise relationship-based practices to strengthen connections with whānau
• leaders further evaluate and synthesise a range of data with the intention of driving professional learning sessions around what contributes to robust and dependable data.

Every six months: 

• teachers collect, analyse and respond to student progress and achievement information 
• teachers and school leaders evaluate the sufficiency of learner progress within identified learning programmes
• teachers and leaders share best practice about what works to increase rates of learner progress across reading, writing and mathematics
• continue the school wide focus on addressing lateness and attendance.

Annually:

• school leaders provide evaluative reports on student progress and achievement to the board to inform ongoing strategic planning and resourcing 
• school leaders connect with contributing schools and local high schools to participate in moderation activities to support clear transition pathways for learners
• continue to use Poutama Reo and refine the curriculum to ensure a coherent pathway in te reo Māori
• leaders and teachers collaborate to resource and design inclusive programmes that support the increasing diversity of each new cohort of learners.

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

• accelerated progress for learners who enter the school below expected levels in literacy and/or mathematics
• improved teacher capacity to identify key steps for data analysis to better inform overall teacher judgements in ways that are more responsive to the needs of each learner
• teachers supporting learners to have more agency in planning and monitoring their own learning
• increased levels of learner attendance and punctuality at school.

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

10 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