Dunstan High 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 

Dunstan High School is a co-educational Years 9 to 13 school in Alexandra, Central Otago. The school draws its students from throughout the local region. Its vision is to engage, inspire and empower students to be successful participants in the world. The school is currently implementing curriculum change to realise its vision and to enhance student engagement. A new principal was appointed in 2024. 

There are three parts to this report.  

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

Part B: An evaluative summary of learner outcomes and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including 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 report in May 2023, ERO and the school have worked together evaluate the impact of Dunstan High School’s curriculum and pastoral initiatives to support learner engagement and achievement in Years 9 and 10. 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expected to see:  

Significant developments in junior curriculum and pastoral structures through the implementation of semester courses and whānau ora initiatives. 

• The school’s whānau ora pastoral structure is increasing positive relationships between students and whānau ora teachers (kaiārahi); students report their kaiārahi knows them well as a person and as a learner.  
• Changing to shorter, semester courses has improved learner engagement, interest and effort. 

A cohesive school wide approach to developing global learning competencies in the junior school, with a corresponding lift in boys’ engagement and achievement. 

• Some improvements in boys’ engagement and achievement have been observed, including for Māori; these improvements indicate the beneficial impact of boys’ connections with their kaiārahi and their increased interest levels in the shorter, semester courses. 
• Most learners have developed a sense of citizenship through building connections with and offering service to the community. 

Effective monitoring and mentoring to both track and support progress, particularly for priority learners. 

• Teachers continue to monitor learner progress fortnightly and have established links between students’ personal excellence grades and success in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA); this link is used effectively as motivation for senior learners to improve achievement. 
• Leaders and teachers regularly track learners’ progress towards their academic and self-management goals and implement timely interventions for learners to ensure that they achieve these goals. 

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s actions is a commitment to continue to strengthen the mentorship introduced through the whānau ora pastoral structure. This has improved students’ learning and wellbeing outcomes and more effectively involved parents and whānau in supporting their child’s engagement in school. 

Part B: Current state 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• The majority of Year 9 and 10 learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; most learners achieve NCEA standards in literacy and mathematics in either Years 10 or 11. 
• Most Year 11, 12 and 13 learners achieve NCEA at Levels 1, 2 and 3. 
• Improving levels of attendance are approaching, but not yet at, the Ministry of Education’s national target; the majority of learners attend regularly. 

Conditions to support learner success

• Senior leaders are strengthening the way they collect and analyse data to know how well the school is improving learner engagement, progress and achievement at all year levels. 
• Senior leaders respond effectively to feedback from staff and the school community to improve students’ engagement in learning, create a supportive environment and connect with the community. 
• Curriculum and pastoral leaders are monitoring and responding to student feedback about curriculum and pastoral initiatives to improve learning and wellbeing programmes to meet students’ needs and interests.

• Curriculum design, including shorter semester courses, is increasingly responsive to students’ interests, resulting in improved student engagement. 
• Leaders initiate professional learning for teachers to better engage boys and respond to learners’ languages, cultures and identities to create inclusive learning environments. 
• Teachers and leaders increasingly collaborate with contributing schools to prepare students transitioning from primary schools for successful learning at secondary school.

• The board effectively supports and resources strategic priorities for improving learners’ wellbeing and learning progress.  
• Kaiārahi oversee learners’ progress through the school and make increasing connections with parents and whānau to create improved academic, engagement and wellbeing outcomes for learners.  
• The school continues to strengthen connections with businesses and employers, leading to many opportunities in the local community for senior learners to access appropriate and meaningful vocational pathways as their next steps beyond school. 

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• further embed the school’s pastoral system to strengthen learner and whānau connection with kaiārahi to improve wellbeing and learning outcomes 
• further develop teaching practices leading to improved academic outcomes and increased engagement for all learners 
• embed strategies to improve and sustain regular attendance.   

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

Within six months 

• leaders and teachers further develop pastoral systems that increase engagement, attendance and improve learner achievement 
• leaders and teachers develop an effective teaching profile that builds on current teaching practices to improve learner engagement and achievement.

Every six months 

• leaders evaluate pastoral initiatives to determine consistency of implementation and how effectively they are improving attendance, learning and wellbeing outcomes 
• leaders and teachers implement and use the teaching profile and provide feedback on its suitability to identify effective teaching practices and recognise shifts that might be needed to improve learner engagement and achievement.

Annually 

• leaders monitor learners’ wellbeing, attendance and sense of connection to school, then use findings to further develop positive kaiārahi-learner relationships which improve outcomes for learners  
• leaders provide evaluative reports to the board on the impact of pastoral and teaching developments on learner attendance, engagement and achievement and use findings to inform strategic planning. 

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

• increased connection of learners and whānau with kaiārahi, resulting in improved students’ learning and wellbeing outcomes 
• increased learner engagement and achievement, gained through improvements to effective teaching practices 
• improved and sustained levels of regular attendance.   

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 

​​12 December 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