Cannington 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

Cannington School is located in Cannington, South Canterbury and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school vision is to educate and develop confident, connected and committed learners who positively contribute to society through authentic learning experiences.

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation. 

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

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals 

Since the 2022 ERO report, the school evaluated the extent to which the local curriculum contributed to positive outcomes for students in terms of equity and excellence in achievement, engagement, and wellbeing.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

Monitoring and evaluation of achievement, wellbeing, and engagement data to show excellence and equity in achievement, engagement, and wellbeing. 

• Student outcomes show excellence and equity in achievement.
• A single, multi-level classroom provides a caring, inclusive and cohesive learning environment that supports student engagement and wellbeing.

A curriculum which reflects the local context, provides a coordinated approach to teaching and learning, and is reflective of changes in The New Zealand Curriculum. 

• The school has developed a curriculum in collaboration with whānau and supported by local businesses that focuses on local history and environment.
• Progress and achievement are monitored, and learners are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning.

Other Findings

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action, is the inclusion of student voice in designing the local curriculum to guide teaching and learning.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• Almost all students achieve at or above the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Students who are at risk of underachievement are known, monitored and make improved progress; literacy support is provided in the junior school to accelerate progress in reading and writing.
• Most students attend regularly, and effective processes are in place to support improving attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders maintain a positive school culture that supports and promotes collaboration amongst staff, students, and parents.
• Leadership effectively implements systems to know student progress that supports identifying next steps for teaching and learning.
• Leadership has formed partnerships with the wider community that positively supports teaching and learning initiatives and programmes.

• Learners are involved in the development of the local curriculum and are supported to understand their learning progress and next steps.
• Regular curriculum reviews and collaboration with the Kāhui Ako informs teachers’ planning and practice.
• The local environment and context are reflected in the curriculum to make learning relevant and meaningful for students.

• School planning and evaluation effectively supports students learning and school improvement.
• The board, with experience in stewardship and a range of skills, work collaboratively with the principal to support teachers to improve student outcomes.
• The school collaborates with Māori learners and their whānau to strengthen belonging, engagement, and achievement by providing opportunities to learn and experience te reo Māori and tikanga Māori within class programmes.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• work collaboratively with the Kāhui Ako to develop a framework and progressions for literacy, student wellbeing and cultural competence 
• continue to implement a localised curriculum that responds to the goals and aspirations of students, parents and whānau 
• collaborate with students, teachers and whānau in curriculum design and decision making to further promote Māori success as Māori.

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

Within three months:

• meet with all whānau to talk about and identify the goals and aspirations for their children
• students take part in te ao Māori activities and Te Whare Tapa Rima to build their cultural awareness

Every six months:

• hold a community event where strategic planning is shared and gather feedback from the community
• collect, analyse and monitor student data to ensure that programmes continue to support learner progress, achievement, wellbeing and engagement
• continue to implement timely reporting across the curriculum to ensure whānau are well informed about their child's learning.

Annually:

• review the impact of teaching and learning programmes on achievement outcomes to know what has been successful and what needs further improvement to inform ongoing strategic direction  
• gather and respond to whānau voice to support developing the strategic direction and annual goals
• work collaboratively with the Kāhui Ako to meet agreed milestones for literacy, student wellbeing and cultural competence 

further develop the localised curriculum to reflect the local community and environment.

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

• continued success for all students in wellbeing, engagement, and achievement outcomes
• a local curriculum that reflects the aspirations of learners, parents and whānau
• Māori as active partners in supporting excellent outcomes for Māori learners. 

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

6 August 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