Review 27 July 2023
LatestTe Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ 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
The Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) is a national school based in Manurewa, Auckland. It provides a network of education services to blind, deafblind, and low vision ākonga throughout New Zealand from birth to 21 years, including those who have additional learning needs.
As a national school with a wide community, it includes ākonga and their whānau; Resource Teachers Vision (RTV) and blindness educators; partner service providers, such as Blind Low Vision NZ (aka Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind); and blindness education sector groupings.
Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
- all BLENNZ staff will demonstrate increased knowledge skills and understanding with regards to bicultural practice
- to review and revise the BLENNZ curriculum (Expanded Core Curriculum) ensuring it reflects the intent of the national curriculum refresh, a bicultural inclusive curriculum
- to work in collaboration with whānau and the teaching team to further the scope and integration of the BLENNZ curriculum for Orientation and Mobility (O&M) and daily life skills. This will inform and further develop the services for Developmental Orientation and Mobility (DOM) and Life Skills resulting in a holistic approach which leads enhanced outcomes for ākonga.
You can find a copy of the network’s strategic and annual plan on Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ’s website.
ERO and BLENNZ are working together to evaluate how well the revised BLENNZ Expanded Core Curriculum empowers ākonga who are blind, deafblind and low vision to effectively access and participate in Te Whāriki (the Early Childhood Curriculum) and Te Mātaiaho (Refreshing The New Zealand Curriculum) enabling each learner to reach their full potential.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to support senior leadership review the BLENNZ Expanded Core Curriculum to ensure it:
- is responsive to the intent of Te Mātaiaho
- continues to enhance positive learning and wellbeing outcomes for ākonga.
The network expects to see:
- enhanced ākonga access and engagement in learning through Te Mātaiaho
- ākonga outcomes enriched through a consistently equitable and strengths-based approach to teaching and learning
- teacher capability in service delivery of the refreshed Expanded Core Curriculum strengthened through appropriate professional development.
Strengths
The network can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how well the revised BLENNZ Expanded Core Curriculum empowers ākonga who are blind, deafblind and low vision, to access and participate in Te Mātaiaho (Refreshing The New Zealand Curriculum) enabling each learner to reach their full potential:
- ākonga experience holistic learning approaches that promote a strong sense of belonging, are culturally responsive and promote self-advocacy
- leadership that continually adapts implementation and strategy to deliver on the school’s priorities
- leadership that collaboratively sustains a culture of relational trust, to ensure ongoing organisational capacity building for continuous improvement.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
- a review of the BLENNZ Expanded Core Curriculum to align with the intention of Te Mātaiaho
- professional development to continue to strengthen teacher capability across the network activating and integrating the calls to action within Te Mātaiaho and the BLENNZ Expanded Core Curriculum
- review and refinement of the BLENNZ Framework of Indicators, to measure and report on individual and aggregated ākonga outcomes in response to the refreshed curricula.
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
27 July 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