Seven Oaks Secondary School

Findings

On the basis of the information obtained during the review, ERO considers that Seven Oaks Secondary School meets the criteria for registration as a private school set out in the Education Act 1989.

1 Background

The Chief Review Officer has a statutory duty to report on the performance of private schools throughout New Zealand.

ERO reviews of private schools are significantly different in process and more limited in scope and reporting than those for state and state-integrated schools, focusing as they do on the Criteria for Registration set out in section 35C of the Education Act.

Section 35I of the Education Act 1989 requires the Education Review Office (ERO) to review private schools and to report to the Ministry of Education on whether each school continues to meet the criteria for registration. The schools are privately owned and the legislative requirements are significantly different to those for state and state-integrated schools. Private schools are not required to follow the National Education Goals or National Administration Guidelines.

What does apply in place of the legislation imposed upon state schools by the Education Act is the contract between the persons paying for the tuition of the child at the school – the parents – and the school authority. Those are matters between the parent and the school’s governing body. More information about ERO reviews of private schools can be found on ERO’s website www.ero.govt.nz/Reviews-Process.

The criteria for registration are that the school —

a) has premises that are suitable, as described in section 35D; and

b) usually provides tuition for 9 or more students who are of or over the age of 5 years but are under the age of 16 years; and

c) has staffing that is suitable to the age range and level of its students, the curriculum taught at the school, and the size of the school; and

d )has equipment that is suitable for the curriculum being delivered or to be delivered at the school; and

e )has a curriculum for teaching, learning, and assessment and makes details of the curriculum and its programme for delivery available for parents; and

f) has suitable tuition standards, as described in section 35F; and

g) has managers who are fit and proper persons (as described in section 35G) to be managers of a private school.

Seven Oaks Secondary School is a fully registered, private school. The school is part of the Holistic Education Trust which has provided education for Year 1 to 8 students since 2009. In 2014 it opened for secondary students, up to Year 10. The trustees in conjunction with the principal, chose not to accept enrolments at the end of 2017. The principal, in conjunction with the trustees, plans to accept secondary student enrolments at Year 9 from 2021.

Since the 2014 ERO review, the school has experienced a number of changes including a move to the purpose built site in Halswell, in July 2017. There have been some changes in principals and staffing. A new principal was appointed towards the end of 2018.

2 Criteria for Registration

At the time of this review, no secondary students were enrolled. ERO was advised that the school would begin to enrol secondary students in 2021. The school has attested that it meets the registration criteria for secondary schools.

The school has classrooms available that could be used as suitable premises for secondary education. There are plans in place to build a secondary school on the same site as the Year 1 to 8 school.

The secondary school curriculum builds on the foundation provided by the Year 1 to 8 programme. This has a focus on developing students’ creativity, self-awareness, social skills and connection with nature. New Zealand Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) forms the basis of academic assessment practices beyond Year 10.

3 Other Obligations

The school’s managers have attested that they comply with the provisions of section 35G in respect to their being fit and proper persons to manage the school.

4 Conclusion

On the basis of the information obtained during the review, ERO considers that Seven Oaks Secondary School meets the criteria for registration as a private school set out in the Education Act 1989.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Southern Region

15 April 2019

About the School

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

695

School type

Secondary (Year 9-15)

School roll

0

Gender composition

N/A

Ethnic composition

N/A

Review team on site

February 2019

Date of this report

15 April 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Private School Review

September 2014