Balmoral S D A School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 24 months of the Education Review Office and Balmoral S D A 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 

Balmoral S D A School caters for students from Years 1 to 8 and is in Balmoral, Auckland. The school's special character vision promotes ‘Transforming life-long learners as we seek God together’.

Balmoral SDA School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• further demonstrating a commitment to the Tiriti o Waitangi by embracing a Māori world view of ‘every child is born with greatness’

• continuing to build a localised curriculum that reflects the identity, languages and culture of ākonga

• building greater student agency and student lead learning.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Balmoral S D A School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the Māori world view of 'every child is born with greatness'. The evaluation will focus on how is this world view being effectively realised through growing ākonga strengths leading to equitable outcomes for all?

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• provide authentic learning experiences that empower students to grow in their strengths and achieve well

• demonstrate how culturally responsive practices support all groups of students and their whānau

• realising the school’s special character vision of ‘Transforming life-long learners as we seek God together’.

The school expects to see because of the evaluation:

• an authentic and inspiring localised curriculum that is implemented consistently throughout the school

• all ākonga are leading in their strengths, can demonstrate that they are critical and creative learners and are progressing and achieving well

• all ākonga are using their strengths to serve their community

• teachers utilising their strengths to impact positively on ākonga achievement.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support this evaluation:

• a commitment of the principal and staff to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• a commitment to generate new innovative teaching approaches to grow the strengths of ākonga

• the principal adapting professional development priorities to support teachers to implement an authentic localised curriculum.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• analysing mid-point evaluation data to inform professional development goals

• continuing to undertake in-depth data analysis of priority and targeted learners to determine next steps

• continuing to grow partnerships with whānau to support ākonga to flourish and succeed.

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 Schools

21 April 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