Rosebank School (Balclutha)

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within eighteen months of the Education Review Office and Rosebank School (Balclutha) 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 

Rosebank School in Balclutha provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The physical environment has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years including modernised breakout spaces for learners and support staff.

Rosebank School (Balclutha)’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are for:

• all students to achieve to their highest educational potential through quality teaching, safe environments, and positive relationships
• Māori students to enjoy educational success as Māori
• the board, staff, whānau and community to be engaged in supporting children in their learning and growth.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Rosebank School (Balclutha)’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to:

• evaluate how well the development of teachers' knowledge and understanding of a 'Structured Literacy Approach' is making a positive difference in building students' literacy capability and to their wellbeing
• develop teachers’ understanding and use of effective internal evaluation.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• the school has identified through well-analysed data that students are not well founded in the phonological structures of the English language
• the school has found that many young students are beginning school with lower than desirable oral language skills and literacy understandings
• for teachers to be able to evaluate the impact of their focus on literacy teaching and learning
• to ensure the foundations for literacy are well embedded into students' learning so that they are not hindered as they progress through the school.

The school expects to see:

• improved student achievement levels in literacy

• teachers using evaluation findings to tailor their teaching to better meet students’ learning needs

• more effective teaching practices across the school.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal for all students to be highly literate.  

• A well-developed vision for all learners.

• The focus on continuous improvement supported through the coaching/mentoring of teachers by professional leaders within and beyond the school.

• Teachers’ high expectations for their students to succeed.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:   

• professional learning to maintain a focus on what supports progress for all learners

• improving data collation and analysis to monitor progress and outcomes

• reviewing and developing the school’s local curriculum to ensure it is responsive to students’ needs

• integrating Te Tiriti o Waitangi into classroom 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

12 September 2022 

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