Vanguard Military School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Vanguard Military 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 

Vanguard Military School is a special character, senior high school in Albany, Auckland. The school caters for students from Years 11 to 13. The school uses the ethos and training methodology of the military to develop young men and women from all over Auckland to become productive and responsible citizens. The school strives for excellence both academically and attitudinally and works to unlock the potential of each individual, creating a positive pathway for their future.

Vanguard Military School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• recruit learning: maintain the high NCEA outcomes for all recruits at all levels 
• recruit engagement: maintain the ability to enrol any recruit from all over Auckland 
• school finance and property: establish a permanent site for the school that facilitates the integration of a junior school
• health and safety: regularly review and minimise risks to recruits and staff
• personnel: continued professional development for all staff to maintain the special character of the school and unique educational model.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Vanguard Military School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school sustains and improves programmes of learning that will promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• provide high-quality special character education for all learners
• offer equitable opportunities and achieve excellent outcomes for all learners.

The school expects to see sustained and improved academic, social and attitudinal outcomes for all learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to evaluate how well it sustains and improves programmes of learning that promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners:

• a special character that sets expected standards and promotes confidence through accomplishment and challenge to motivate, engage and improve
• a culture that promotes self-belief, a sense of belonging and overall pride
• effective pastoral care and strong family/whānau involvement and support
• strong leadership and an educational model supported by established processes, procedures and protocols
• quality staff to facilitate sustained and improved learner outcomes.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• leadership to support progress in academic, attendance and behavioural outcomes for all learners to succeed
• professional development that aligns with the special character and learner outcomes to improve teacher capability
• effective use of school data to improve learner outcomes and promote greater equity especially for students at risk of not achieving.

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

8 November 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