Heaton Normal Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background

This Profile Report was written within 40 months of the Education Review Office and He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate 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 

He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate is located in northwest Christchurch and provides education for students in Years 7 and 8 underpinned by the values of Excellence – Pai Rawa, Diversity – Rerenga Ketanga, Integrity – Ngākau Pono, and Creativity – Auahatanga. The school has a close relationship with initial teacher education providers.  

He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• authentic understanding and valuing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• to achieve to the very highest level of their potential by setting high expectations for all
• to create a positive place for learning that provides for the diversity within the school and broadens the definition of what success looks like.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the school’s wellbeing plan on supporting ākonga engagement and wellbeing. 

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is: 

• the need for real time data that is responsive to supporting ākonga wellbeing needs
• the school has prioritised significant resources to support the focus
• to consolidate and embed the recent changes to wellbeing systems and processes.

The school expects to see:

• wellbeing systems that are coherent and consistently implemented
• wellbeing data effectively used to monitor and identify trends and to respond to individual ākonga needs
• a shared understanding of behaviour management systems within the school and its community
• improved ākonga wellbeing and engagement.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the school’s wellbeing plan on supporting ākonga engagement and wellbeing:

• reflective, distributed leadership that is learner focused
• the board’s commitment to supporting and resourcing student wellbeing
• effective systems and processes that support evaluation and school improvement.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• establishing a wellbeing sub-committee that makes effective use of school wellbeing data 
• reviewing and evaluating the school pastoral system to identify what best supports learner outcomes
• strengthening communication of behaviour systems across the wider school community
• monitoring the impact of wellbeing initiatives on ākonga wellbeing and engagement.

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

3 April 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