Waitaki Boys’ High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within eight months of the Education Review Office and Waitaki Boys’ High 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 

Waitaki Boys’ High School is a Years 9 to 13 school for boys in Oamaru. Boarders reside at Don house, the school’s onsite boarding facility. The schools’ farm (Fraser Farm) is adjacent to the school and provides learning opportunities for boys at all year levels.

Waitaki Boys’ High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes are for all learners to:

• be fully engaged in their teaching and learning to achieve success

• experience belonging within a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment that allows all students to learn and thrive.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate effective teaching practices to better meet the needs of all learners and support equitable outcomes. 

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that:

• teachers have been participating in ongoing professional development and learning in relation to building high quality and consistent effective teaching   

• outcomes for all students are not yet equitable 

• leaders want to more fully honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its articles.

The school expects to see consistent high quality teaching practices that meet all learners’ needs and pathways across the school. 

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to achieve equitable outcomes for all learners. The: 

• school is improvement focused and wants the best outcomes for its learners so that they can participate fully in society  

• local partnerships the school has developed and strengthened to support school improvement 

• ways in which staff are collaborating to improve outcomes for learners 

• success the school has had in supporting Pacific learners and their families to achieve and progress

• progress the school has made in working with the local runaka in 2021 to build a stronger working partnership.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• using assessment effectively across the school to inform teaching and learning

• strengthening the Professional Growth Cycle to ensure progress for all learners

• engagement with its Māori community

• establishing a baseline for the school’s culturally responsive teaching practices

• staff development to enhance culturally responsive teaching and learning.

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.

Kathy Lye
Acting Director Review and Improvement (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

21 March 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