Te Waha O Rerekohu Area 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 

Te Waha O Rerekohu Area School is located in Te Araroa, East Cape and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 13. The school’s vision is for the students to feel inspired, feel the strength of their heritage and to believe in themselves. A new principal was appointed in 2023.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Current State 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

For learners in Years 1 to 8, outcomes are increasingly equitable and excellent; achievement outcomes for those in Years 9 to 13 require improvement.

• Most students in Years 1 to 8 achieve at expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics and for writing the majority of learners achieve well. 
• For Years 9 to 10 school data shows a small majority of learners achieve at the expected curriculum levels in these learning areas, however, assessment practices are inconsistent and data not yet reliable.
• Most learners achieve the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 with some learners achieving Levels 2 and 3, gaining endorsements in art and te reo Māori; most students successfully complete internal achievement standards but not the external achievement standards.
• A large majority of learners at the school are Māori and whakapapa Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau Āpanui iwi; these learners have a strong sense of belonging and are confident in their language, culture and identity that supports, in the junior school, a positive sense of wellbeing.
• Although regular attendance rates currently do not meet Ministry of Education targets, school leaders and the board of trustees are taking steps to set targets and develop strategies to support improved attendance, including the regular review and analysis of attendance information.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders are taking steps to foster a professional culture focused on improving teaching and learner outcomes. 

• Leaders are beginning to set and actively pursue key improvement goals that are focused on accelerating the progress of those learners most at risk of underachievement, particularly in literacy.
• Leadership is beginning to plan and coordinate the school’s curriculum and set expectations for high quality teaching.
• School leaders are taking steps to establish educationally-focused relationships with other education providers and community groups, to provide secondary school learners with a greater range of learning opportunities.

The school is taking steps to provide a responsive curriculum and high-quality teaching practices. 

• Appropriate assessment information is beginning to be collected and used to inform teaching and learning, focused on improved outcomes for all learners. 
• Leaders and some teachers are beginning to collect, analyse and interpret data to make 
  evidence-based decisions for schoolwide improvement actions.
• Local contexts are reflected in the curriculum and schoolwide practices so that learners can see themselves, their identity and culture.

Organisational conditions including leadership, practices, systems and processes are being established to drive schoolwide improvement. 

• Professional learning opportunities for teachers increasingly align to improvement goals and learner needs, particularly for those learners most at risk of underachievement.
• Relational trust and communication between staff increasingly support professional collaboration focused on high-quality teaching, particularly in the primary school.
• Leaders and teachers are beginning to use evaluative evidence to understand the impact of their practice on learner outcomes, and to plan and take action for improvement.
• The board of trustees understands its statutory obligations and has in places systems and processes to regularly review policies and procedures that are fit for purpose.

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• develop strategic and annual plans informed by the community and focused on high-quality, collaborative teaching practices that support improved attendance, engagement, and outcomes for all learners 
• implement literacy programmes in both te reo Māori and English for Years 1 to 10 that are responsive to the needs of all learners, and use structured literacy to accelerate the progress of those learners most at risk of underachieving
• ensure consistent assessment and moderation practices across the school, particularly in Years 9 and 10, and to strengthen data analysis capability so staff can better meet the needs of those learners most at risk of underachieving
• develop and implement a coherent localised curriculum informed by community aspirations that addresses the breadth and depth of The New Zealand Curriculum.

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

Within three months:

• establish clear expectations for consistent schoolwide assessment practices; conduct comprehensive literacy assessments in both te reo Māori and English for Years 1 to 10 and regularly track and monitor learner progress
• provide extensive professional development for teachers in structured literacy approaches to support accelerated learner progress, particularly for those most at risk of underachievement 
• implement professional development so teachers will be well-equipped to understand and implement the Year 9 and 10 literacy and numeracy NCEA co-requisites, leading to improved student outcomes in these areas
• gather input from the whole school community on their aspirations and expectations of the school’s local curriculum and strategic and annual plans for improved learner engagement, attendance, and achievement.

Within six months:

• collaboratively and collectively analyse schoolwide achievement and progress data to inform and design teaching and learning programmes that are responsive to learner need, especially those most at risk of underachievement
• leaders and teachers engage in critical discussion about the impact of their teaching on learner outcomes through the school professional growth cycle, and to adapt practice and programmes to ensure improved and excellent outcomes for all learners 
• complete development and documentation of a comprehensive, schoolwide localised curriculum.

Annually:

• board and staff rigorously analyse and scrutinise schoolwide achievement data to understand the impact of teaching practice and programmes on learner outcomes and to inform decision making for the next school year
• implement a robust professional growth cycle focused on improving teacher practice, leading to improved outcomes for all learners, especially those most at risk of underachievement 
• gather input from the whole school community on the development and implementation of the strategic and annual plans, and localised curriculum, to inform improvements that are relentlessly focused on improved engagement and outcomes for all learners 
• organise workshops for whānau and community members to grow knowledge of key learning areas across the school; identify how they can further support attendance, learning at home and contribute to ongoing curriculum development. 

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

• teaching and learning that is evidence-informed and meets the needs of all learners, especially those most at risk of underachievement 
• improved student attendance, engagement, and achievement
• strengthened systems and processes of internal evaluation that result in improved teaching practices, and outcomes for all learners
• school leaders, staff, whānau, learners, and wider community members collectively and collaboratively making decisions about and evaluating a school curriculum that meets their aspirations and results in excellent outcomes for all learners. 

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education consider tailored support in order to bring about the following improvements in the secondary school: 

• the development of a curriculum that addresses the depth and breadth of The New Zealand Curriculum for the secondary school
• staff development in assessment practices for Years 9 and 10.

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

10 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