Epsom Girls Grammar School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Epsom Girls Grammar 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 

Epsom Girls Grammar School - Te Kura Tuarua o Ngā Taitamāhine o Maungawhau is in Central Auckland and provides education for ākonga in Years 9 to 13. The school’s values of courage, compassion, curiosity and community underpin its vision: “enabling ākonga to be confident, resilient and agentic”.

A new principal will commence in Term 1 2024.

Epsom Girls Grammar School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• Excellence in teaching and learning that enables each ākonga to achieve to their highest potential.
• Embracing change for enhanced outcomes.
• Engaging purposefully with the future and taking responsibility in shaping it.
• Fostering a caring, compassionate and diverse wellbeing culture.
• Strengthening community connection and learning partnerships.

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

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school’s culture supports excellence in teaching and learning that enables all ākonga to achieve to their highest potential.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school has been developing a culture of:

• relational learning that reflects practices that are culturally sustainable, inclusive of all ākonga and based on restorative principles
• high quality learning that acknowledges the principles of Te Mātaiaho – the NZ Curriculum and the qualification requirements of NCEA. This includes ensuring foundational and critical literacy and numeracy skills are embedded in learning and keeping abreast of future focused aspirations including the impact of new technologies.

The school expects to see:

• each ākonga achieving to their highest potential in curricular and co-curricular learning 
• staff understanding and embedding practices of cultural sustainability, inclusive learning pedagogies and restorative practices
• a sustainable culture of wellbeing which supports inclusive learning.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how effectively its culture ensures excellence in teaching and learning:

• a strengths-based approach to ensure excellence and equity in learner progress and achievement outcomes for all ākonga
• a responsive curriculum that aims to increase learner access and opportunities for meaningful educational experiences and pathways
• leadership which consistently prioritises and plans for school improvement. 

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• professional learning to support systematic and embedded practices of cultural sustainability, restorative principles and inclusive learning pedagogies
• implementing Te Mātaiaho, Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori and the NCEA change package.

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

20 February 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

This school has a boarding hostel: Epsom House.