St Hildas Collegiate

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within eight months of St Hildas Collegiate 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 

St Hildas Collegiate is an Anglican state-integrated school for girls in Years 7 to 13 located in Dunedin. The school’s vision is to develop ‘future ready, independent learners’ by encouraging students to develop the skills and attitudes linked to the school values of: Exploring faith|Ara whakapono; Can do|Ka taea e au; Better together|Toa takatini; and Be you|Tū motohake.

The school’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• developing competency for incorporating te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori across the school
• quality teaching, flexible structures and responsive curriculum that make a difference for learners and foster the school’s graduate dispositions
• identifying and implementing wellbeing priorities that matter to the school community.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on St Hildas Collegiate’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well effective teaching and responsive curriculum are fostering students’ development of the skills and attitudes inherent in the school’s values.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school wants to ensure that implementation of changes to curriculum and national qualifications continue to support student success in learning and development of the school values.

The school expects to see students:

• apply the school’s values to enhance their wellbeing and learning
• continue to have success in national qualifications
• have meaningful opportunities to experience and learn te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to ensure teaching and curriculum are fostering the school values:

• consultative school leadership with well-considered approaches to planning and implementing change that supports a culture of continuous improvement
• curriculum structures that provide the opportunity for authentic learning in the breadth of the New Zealand curriculum
• comprehensive wellbeing and pastoral support programmes that respond to student needs and promote the school values
• teachers who use a variety of strategies and approaches to engage students in learning, respond to diverse learning needs and promote critical reflection.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• effective leadership and implementation of ongoing changes to the New Zealand Curriculum and NCEA – including the strengthening of provision of opportunities to learn te reo and mātauranga Māori and to participate in tikanga Māori
• strengthening incorporation of the school’s values in and through learning programmes
• internal evaluation, that draws on student and parent voice, to know about how well the curriculum and teaching is supporting all students to be able to demonstrate the school values.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

23 January 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