Trinity Catholic College

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 to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Context

Trinity Catholic College is an integrated, co-educational college for learners from Years 7 to 13, serving the Catholic community of Dunedin and surrounds. The gospel values of respect, justice, service, and truth underpin daily life at the College so that the diverse learner body ‘has every opportunity to learn and flourish in an environment that is safe, positive, and caring’.

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 October 2022, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate the impact on learner achievement, engagement and teacher efficacy (capability) that will develop a more responsive curriculum for all learners.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

A refreshed, relevant, culturally responsive curriculum structure that encourages learner agency  (independence) and learner capability development, while maintaining high levels of achievement for all learners.

• Students and teachers have reported gains in learner independence and independent learning.
• Student and teacher feedback about curriculum initiatives has informed improvements in responsive curriculum design. 
• Teachers confidently integrate mātauranga Māori into programmes of learning, leading to an ongoing commitment to further develop understandings of te ao Māori to enrich curriculum.

A shared understanding of effective teaching practice and the development of strong professional capability throughout the college leading to enhanced teacher collective capacity.

• Increased collaboration has improved teacher practice and increases in students finding greater relevance, interest and usefulness in their learning.

Equity and excellence at the core of the College’s teaching philosophy.

• Learner progress in literacy and mathematics is consistently and regularly tracked, resulting in a cohesive approach to improving student achievement at Years 7 to 10.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s actions is that analysis and responsiveness to student, teacher and school community feedback, together with student achievement information, is informing school improvements in planning and its strategic direction. 

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

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

• Most Year 7 to 10 students achieve at expected or above curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics. 
• A large majority of students, including Māori, achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at all levels; high merit and excellence certificate endorsement levels are continuing, with improvements in University Entrance success. 
• The school has increasingly equitable practices that are improving the engagement, motivation, wellbeing and achievement of the learners who are at risk of not achieving at expected levels.
• The school maintains consistent levels of attendance that are approaching but not yet at the Ministry of Education’s national target; most students attend school regularly.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders set and monitor clear goals that effectively drive school improvement. 

• Leaders use a collaborative process to set the school’s annual improvement plan that is aligned with its strategic focuses, to ensure equity for its diverse student population. 
• Leaders and teachers apply understandings about shared best practice to make a positive impact on learner achievement and engagement.
• Leaders use student, school community and board inputs to inform school priorities and strategic direction. 

Teaching, learning and curriculum design are increasingly responsive to learner feedback and local contexts. 

• Teacher and student feedback informs teaching and learning practice and an increasing use of relevant learning contexts. 
• Teachers effectively support students who require extra assistance; booster groups target those with identified needs and accelerate their progress.
• Teachers provide a responsive and relevant curriculum that focuses on climate change, sustainability and the school’s Catholic special character.

Well-aligned processes monitor and respond effectively to learners’ wellbeing and sense of connection to school.

• Leaders evaluate, review and strengthen pastoral systems and restorative practices to promote improved learner wellbeing. 
• The board is well informed about student achievement, using goals with specific measures aimed at achieving equity and excellence.
• The board actively monitors engagement and achievement data to ensure that Māori and Pacific learners have a secure sense of belonging and make progress to reach their academic potential.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• continue to further develop curriculum initiatives including integrating mātauranga Māori within learning areas and an increased focus on literacy and mathematics
• continue to improve learner achievement in national qualifications
• continue to gather learner, teacher and whānau feedback, alongside cohort monitoring against success indicators in NCEA, literacy and numeracy to understand the ongoing effectiveness of initiatives, programmes and practices
• expand the use of assessment for learning to inform teaching practices that develop the students’ potential, based on the belief that all can progress and achieve
• improve levels of regular attendance. 

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

Within six months

• senior leaders continue with regular middle leadership coaching and mentoring in order to improve student progress and achievement
• senior leaders continue a mentorship programme for heads of learning areas in the use of achievement information to review teaching and learning and further develop staff capability.

Every six months

• leaders and teachers continue to improve the robustness of achievement data in literacy and numeracy to enable effective monitoring
• leaders and teachers monitor and review achievement in literacy, numeracy and NCEA to establish appropriate responses to programme design and delivery to meet student learning needs
• leaders continue to gather and respond to student, staff and whānau feedback to inform school improvement.

Annually

• leaders report to the board on shifts in attendance, progress and achievement, as well as how data is informing next steps within learning areas and across the school
• leaders prioritise adjustments to pastoral and academic processes to meet the wellbeing and learning needs of an increasingly diverse student community.

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

• the continued development of approaches to integrate literacy and mathematics skills across learning areas to improve equitable learner improvement 
• the increasing profile of mātauranga Māori in teaching programmes so that Māori learners can see themselves in the school and in the curriculum
• the continued building and strengthening of relationships to develop effective reciprocal partnerships with all communities represented within the school.

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

19 September 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