Mount Hutt College

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 29 months of the Education Review Office and Mount Hutt College 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 

Mount Hutt College is a co-educational school, located in Methven, which provides education for students in years 7 to 13. The school prioritises “growing our people and connecting to our place” through its PRIDE values of passion | kōhara, respect | whakaute, integrity | tinihanga kore, diversity | rerekētanga, and excellence | opuketanga. School programmes and systems address, and are underpinned by, the three dimensions of hinengaro | mind, tinana | body, and wairua | spirit.

Mount Hutt College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• developing a growth profile for learners, connected to the key baskets of knowledge and tools for learning and growth required at each transition point into and throughout the college

• reviewing the curriculum to ensure it is focused on localised learning and local pathways.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Mount Hutt College’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of its reviewed curriculum and learning programmes on improving year 10 and 11 students’ agency and achievement.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school:

• wants to develop an explicit student growth profile which connects with, and is supported by, its curriculum and learning programmes

• gathered student voice to inform wider review of the year 10 and 11 curriculum to increase student agency and choice

• is evaluating and refining pilot programmes at year 10 and 11 to inform reviews at other year levels.

The school expects to see:

• revised curriculum and learning programmes in year 10 and 11 which improve student agency, progress, and achievement

• students assessing and articulating their own progress towards the growth profile and identifying their next steps for learning.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the impact of its reviewed curriculum and learning programmes on improving year 10 and 11 students’ agency and achievement.

• The three dimensions of hinengaro | mind, tinana | body, and wairua | spirit are integral to review and decision making, developing the growth profile, and revising the curriculum.

• A collaborative culture, including gathering of student voice, and an established strategic framework for evaluation, are leveraged to inform sustainable change.

• Established links with the local community extend opportunities for students, their learning and potential future pathways.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• collaboration and consultation with students, whānau, and community to evaluate pilot programmes and inform next steps

• preparing and implementing revised curriculum and learning programmes for years 10 and 11 in alignment with national curriculum and assessment changes

• building evaluation capability to identify impacts and areas for further improvement schoolwide.

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

22 September 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