Tainui School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Tainui School 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 

Tainui School is a Year 1-6 school situated on Dunedin’s south coast. Its vision is that the school is “a caring community where everyone flourishes.”

Tainui School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

• grow eager and confident learners who are curious, reflective, creative, skilful and knowledgeable

• grow effective communicators and contributors who participate in society

• grow confident and positive members of families, groups and communities.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Tainui School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of a more inclusive approach to curriculum design and delivery to ensure all learners experience success and particularly target learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:

• achievement data has indicated that teaching and learning strategies need to be broadened to reduce disparities in learners’ progress and achievement

• a wish to scale up successes across the school, so that all learners benefit from effective pedagogical practices the school has identified.

The school expects to see:

• curriculum design and teaching actions which disrupt the status quo and reduce inequities in learner progress and achievement

• the development of conducive learning environments to increase learner agency and help all ākonga learn in mixed ability groupings.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the impact of a more inclusive approach to curriculum design and delivery to ensure all learners experience success:

• a committed staff who take collective responsibility for learner progress and share high expectations about all learners’ achievement

• strategic leadership committed to realising the school’s vision of being a caring community where everyone learns and flourishes

• an inclusive, welcoming and diverse school community, characterised by mutually respectful relationships between learners, staff and whānau

• the fostering of te ao Māori through practices that embrace our bicultural heritage.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• enhancing rates of progress for all ākonga and in particular for those identified as target learners whose achievement falls below expectations

• using the school’s pedagogical strengths to accelerate the progress of target learners.

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

28 June 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