Kirwee Model 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 

Kirwee Model School provides for learners from Years 1 to 6 in the mid-Canterbury, Selwyn District. Mana whenua have gifted the name, Te Kura Tītoki. The school’s vision focuses on growing meaningful relationships, positive choices and a connected community.

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 previous ERO report of September 2022, the school has been evaluating how students’ wellbeing and learning benefit from a focus on building educationally powerful connections and relationships. 

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see: 

Responsive teaching practices and enhanced connections with whānau and families that support equity in wellbeing and achievement, particularly for boys’ engagement in learning.

• Most boys are now engaged well in learning; their achievement in reading has increased as a result.
• A ‘knowing the learner’ focus increasingly guides teachers to provide engaging literacy learning contexts. 
• Students regularly share their learning and achievements with their families via a digital platform. 
• The result of targeted professional development for teachers is a structured approach to teaching and learning in reading and writing. 

Guiding documents that define and promote shared expectations for quality literacy practices, underpinned by current research and informed by staff, student, whānau and parent perspectives.

• Leaders have continued to build clear connections between the curriculum and the school’s vision and values; the values have been unpacked collaboratively with staff to enrich a ‘discovery learning’ approach.
• Leaders and staff maintain a strong focus on students’ developing literacy skills and knowledge and these are applied across the curriculum. 
• Whānau and parent connection to curriculum development is well-considered, fostered via newsletters and meetings so that a shared language of learning can be used at home and at school.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, data analysis identified opportunities to promote accelerated progress for boys’ writing.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the introduction of wellbeing surveys to hear student feedback and include their perspectives into decision making. 

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• By the end of Year 6, almost all students achieve at expected levels in mathematics and most achieve at expected levels in reading and writing.
• Strengthened teaching practices have supported the majority of Māori students to now achieve at expectations for writing, and a larger majority to achieve in reading and mathematics; ongoing improvement in teaching practice is a strategic focus.
• Wellbeing data shows students’ have a strong sense of belonging; they are taught specific strategies to manage their feelings and emotions, build resilience and enact the school values. 
• Attendance data shows a small majority of students attend regularly; leaders identify there is more to do to further reduce absences and meet the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance.

• Leaders have strengthened the school values through community consultation, that guide a positive school culture and help develop relational teaching approaches. 
• The senior leadership team make good use of research to grow high quality teaching practices across the school, that formalises a consistent approach to teaching reading and writing.
• Leaders have implemented focused observations of classroom practice and provide feedback to teachers that promote enhanced teaching and learning outcomes. 

• Students benefit from collaborative teaching strategies that foster discovery learning, individualised planning and teaching assists learners with specific needs to successfully engage with the curriculum.
• Targeted professional development supports successful implementation of new programmes and initiatives, focused on staff embedding explicit, affirming and responsive teaching practices. 
• Leaders continue to adapt and refine the local curriculum in response to research and best practice models; they increasingly use data that incorporates student and whānau perspectives.

• The strong alignment of the strategic vision, values, direction and goals provide a sound basis for guiding school improvement.
• Trustees and leaders have set deliberate goals and actions to strengthen partnerships for learning with whānau and families, including with mana whenua.
• Leaders’ evaluation capability in the school is growing and they are exploring ways to strengthen teachers use of data for responsive practice. 
• The board continues to broaden their understanding of governance roles and responsibilities, including accessing training with external facilitators; further strengthening internal review processes is likely to support ongoing improvement. 

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• continue to review, refine and evolve the school’s curriculum with student and community input
• explore additional strategies to promote regular attendance
• prioritise accelerated progress for Māori students through enhanced teaching and learning practices, and partnership with whānau Māori 
• further grow and embed explicit, structured teaching approaches to accelerate the progress of those students not yet achieving at expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

Within three months:

• observe and analyse teaching across the school, offering personalised feedback and next steps for staff
• continue to engage with mana whenua to discuss and plan the developing curriculum
• refine strategies for supporting regular attendance.

Every six months:

• gather and discuss student feedback on teaching and learning to inform improved teaching practices 
• continue to engage with whānau Māori and mana whenua to discuss curriculum development and partnership strategies that enhance equity in student outcomes
• staff regularly collaborate to discuss improved practice and to analyse shifts in attendance and achievement data.

Annually:

• engage with whānau and families, using their perspectives to enhance curriculum, teaching and learning, and in strategic decision-making
• evaluate improvements in attendance and achievement to refine action planning
• report to the community on schoolwide achievement and accelerated progress for groups of students.

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

• improved attendance and achievement and equity in reading, writing and mathematics
• teachers and leaders using data and feedback to collaboratively monitor, track and evaluate the impact of teaching adaptations on learning
• a robust curriculum that guides effective teaching and learning, and upholds the school’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• strong partnership with whānau and families, and mana whenua, to develop and enact the curriculum.

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

2 October 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