Queens 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

Queens High School, a girls’ secondary school providing education for Year 9 to 13 learners, is situated in St Clair, Dunedin. The school aims to challenge and empower young women to pursue personal excellence through a diverse range of academic, sporting, cultural and service pursuits and to ignite a passion for lifelong learning.

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 August 2022, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate the impact of supporting high expectations and equitable learning pathways for all learners. 

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see: 

Improvement in learner engagement, progress, and achievement through accessing learning opportunities and pathways.

• Student voice provides useful feedback to teachers on improving effective classroom engagement.
• Feedback about learning preferences informs practices that create student-centred classroom experiences, including increased choice and variety in learning activities and how students present their learning.
• Student independence in learning is increasing, with more students able to self-manage their own learning.

The further development of inclusive teaching and learning practices.

• Teachers focus on increasing their capabilities to provide multiple ways, for students to successfully access the curriculum through applying agreed learning design approaches. 

The expansion of a de-streaming strategy piloted at Year 9 in 2022 to improve equitable outcomes.

• A de-streaming strategy in Years 9 and 10 gives all students the opportunity to discover their strengths, abilities and interests, keeping learning pathways open as they progress into the senior school.
• Inclusive and diverse learning environments create equitable opportunities for all students to access a broad curriculum.
• Student engagement levels have increased, with fewer pastoral referrals impacting on learning in class.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s actions is the prioritisation of manaakitanga to support the school’s vision of a learning environment that is equitable, safe, caring and accepting of diversity.

Part B: Current state

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners show increasing equity, with most students progressing and achieving at appropriate curriculum levels and in school qualifications.

• Most Year 9 and 10 students are making expected progress or better, in literacy and numeracy; all Year 11, 12 and 13 learner groups, including Māori learners, are continuing to achieve well in National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1, 2 and 3.
• Teachers design personalised pathways to suit and successfully support students’ aspirations and interests for their next steps; most students move into further study, training or employment beyond school.
• Partnerships for learning with parents and whānau fosters wellbeing and successful engagement as students progress through the school.
• The school maintains consistent levels of attendance; most students are attending school regularly in relation to the Ministry of Education’s target.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders use equitable approaches effectively to inform decision making about the school’s direction and priorities.

• Leaders oversee the planning, coordination and evaluation of the school’s curriculum and teaching that support high expectations and equitable learning pathways for all learners.
• Leaders ensure that appropriate professional learning is in place for staff to implement curriculum developments.
• Leaders collaborate with the school community, including mana whenua, to develop the school’s improvement priorities related to student wellbeing, progress and achievement.

Curriculum design and teaching practice are increasingly responsive to learners’ needs.

• The school is increasing opportunities for student success to be recognised to enhance their sense of belonging and achievement.
• Teachers’ emphasis on including local contexts across learning areas reflect the school’s cultural narrative, so that learners can increasingly see themselves in the school’s localised curriculum.
• Leaders and teachers are strengthening approaches to make the curriculum accessible for all learners, including increasing learning assistance and placing an emphasis on literacy across the curriculum.

Consultative approaches ensure that community feedback informs school improvement in learning, pastoral care and governance.

• The school has established processes for seeking feedback from students, parents and whānau to ensure that it offers equitable opportunities for all learners.
• Students, parents and whānau positively endorse the transition to secondary school process which successfully builds connections and engagement as learners move into their new school setting. 
• The board regularly consults with the school community to ensure that the school’s strategic priorities are aligned with the needs and aspirations of its community. 

Part C: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• further make the school a place where every student feels they belong by continuing to recognise and respond to the increasing diversity of the school population
• continue to strengthen teaching practices to create equitable learning opportunities and success for all students.

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

Within six months:

• teachers undertake professional learning in cultural practices and apply these in their classrooms to further build all students’ sense of belonging.

Every six months:

• teachers design open-ended learning activities so that all students are challenged appropriately
• staff strengthen strategies in their teaching practices to meet the learning needs of the school’s diverse population.

Annually:

• teachers and learning assistants evaluate the impact of applying their increased understandings of students’ languages, cultures and identities, particularly for Pacific and Māori students, to benefit their teaching practice
• teachers and learning assistants evaluate how well their increased recognition of students’ languages, cultures and identities is incorporated into teaching practice to improve learning and engagement
• teachers monitor students’ sense of belonging to the school and their engagement in learning, then prioritise actions in response to findings to increase learner success, engagement and achievement
• leaders report to the board on learner wellbeing and success for all students, including priority learner groups
• the school’s strategic goals and annual plans prioritise equitable success for all learners and the recognition of the school’s increasing diversity.

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

• improved equity and excellence in engagement, progress and achievement for all students
• ensuring that, as the school increases in size, it maintains its focus on manaakitanga so that each student is known as an individual.

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 August 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