Broomfield School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Broomfield 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 

Broomfield School is a country school inland from Amberley, North Canterbury. It caters for students from the surrounding community in Years 1 to 8. The school vision of active, innovative and collaborative learners is embedded in aspects of school and community life. Community partnerships are an important part of the school learning environment.

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

• develop a localised curriculum based on ‘our purpose, our people, our place’ that meets the learning needs and interests of all tamariki
• utilise the local history, environment and community strengths to enhance learning opportunities across the school.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s local curriculum in meeting the learning needs of all tamariki.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to ensure:

• tamariki are successful and achieving well in all learning areas of the curriculum
• the school is meeting its goal to develop an authentic localised curriculum that provides meaningful learning for all tamariki.

The school expects to see improved student achievement not only in reading, writing and mathematics but in other learning areas such as science and social studies due to more relevant and authentic contexts for learning. In addition, the school expects to see greater community and whānau involvement and connection in and through learning programmes.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s local curriculum in meeting the learning needs of all tamariki.

• Leaders and teachers collectively have expertise in all areas of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).
• Effective leadership of curriculum development by the Deputy Principal that is focused on the needs and interests of all tamariki and their whānau.
• A cultural narrative and gifting of a Māori name for the school, Te Kura Onepunga, that is contributing to the development of a richer local curriculum.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• improved tracking, assessment and reporting processes across all curriculum learning areas
• focused professional development on delivering a localised curriculum
• deeper and more meaningful use of te reo and tikanga Māori and the school’s cultural narrative
• offering staff opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in local te reo and tikanga Māori so they can integrate this more deeply into learning programmes across the school.

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

16 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