Dunedin North Intermediate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Dunedin North 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 

Dunedin North Intermediate is a school catering for year 7 and 8 students located in North Dunedin. The school’s values are: Kia Māia-be courageous and independent, Dream Big-promote curious, creative, happy learners and Act With Integrity-value manaakitaka, kaitiakitaka and kotahitaka.

Dunedin North Intermediate’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• examine assessment and the purpose in relation to improved teaching and learning (in relation to structured literacy)
• develop and implement the refreshed curriculum
• refine PB4L in relation to teaching and learning relationships.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Dunedin North Intermediate’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how Dunedin North Intermediate can deliver a consistent and developmentally appropriate literacy programme across the school that recognises and extends those who arrive at intermediate having made age-appropriate progress, while rapidly progressing those who have fallen behind.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• the school is concerned that a number of students begin and leave Dunedin North Intermediate each year without the requisite literacy skills and knowledge to succeed at high school
• the two-year duration of learning offered at intermediate is challenging in terms of being able to provide age-appropriate supports for students significantly behind
• staff are committed to supporting children with additional and diverse needs to experience success in literacy
• the school wants to ensure that gender and cultural background are not limiting factors in literacy success
• recent professional development has highlighted the need for a consistent and developmentally appropriate literacy programme in the school with appropriate and ongoing professional development to support it.

The school expects to see:

• review and assessment of existing and new practices, impact analysis and ongoing monitoring of the improvement actions
• evaluation of the impact of leaders, teachers and learning assistants on enhancing students’ learning, progress and achievement in literacy
• consistent implementation of literacy programmes across the school for equitable and excellent learner outcomes.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to deliver a consistent and developmentally appropriate literacy programme across the school:

• leadership of collaborative relationships for inclusion, learning and wellbeing
• well considered professional development that empowers quality teaching and learning
• a structured and highly effective cycle of student achievement analysis that is embedded and aligned with the school’s strategic direction and priorities.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• greater collaboration and learning within the kāhui ako to deepen the shared understanding of teacher best practice and enable literacy success for all students
• ensuring that future strategic priorities for the school reflect the greatest needs of all students.

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

14 November 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