Ngahinapouri School - Strive to Improve - We are learning to be seekers, creators and users of knowledge

Ngahinapouri School is a rural full primary school catering for children in Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 185 includes 24 Māori children.  

Since the previous ERO review in 2012 the principal and membership of the senior leadership team have remained the same. Leaders continue to prioritise professional development for teachers. The chairperson continues in the role and provides stable leadership for the board. Most trustees are new to their roles and have undertaken training in governance practices. 

 

The school is responding well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration. 

Many processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.  

There are some school processes that require further development to ensure effective internal evaluation systems to sustain equity and excellence.  

At the time of this review, most children were achieving the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. There is a small disparity for Māori children compared to other children in reading only. 

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices. 

Agreed next steps are to review and strengthen: 

 performance management systems

 the school’s curriculum  

 management and use of school-wide achievement information. 

 

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years. 

 

 

The school is responding well to Māori and other children whose learning and achievement need acceleration is effective.    

The school’s National Standards achievement information (2014 to 2016) shows that an increasing number of children, including Māori, achieve the expected standard each year. The school has identified and is targeting the 39 children, including a small number of Māori children, who are working below expectations in writing. Leaders have also recognised and are making provision for an increasing number of children entering the school at five years of age needing additional support with their learning.  

The school closely monitors the individual achievement and progress of Māori children in the school. There is a small disparity between Māori and other groups of children in reading. While a small number of Maori children are working below expectations, overall the achievement of this group is comparable with others in writing and mathematics.  

The school has effective systems for the prompt identification of individual children requiring additional learning support. Individual education plans document specific learning needs, goals, interventions and programmes. Teachers are able to track and report expected and accelerated rates of progress for these children.   

The school has well-developed processes for moderation in relation to National Standards and overall teacher judgements are dependable.   

 

What school processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence? 

Many processes are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence.  

The board is committed to the provision of resources to provide equitable outcomes for all children.  Achievement data reported to the board at regular intervals throughout the year assists trustees to monitor the individual progress of at risk children. The board plans strategically to make provision for additional support staff, programmes and initiatives in response to the identified learning needs of these children. Children are well supported to access the curriculum at the appropriate level.   

Leaders actively promote the school’s vision for equity and excellence. They work collaboratively with teachers to provide holistic support for children and their families. Senior leaders readily engage specialist support from outside agencies to identify behaviour, social, and learning needs of children who are not achieving at the expected level for their age. These at risk learners are making positive gains with their all-round social development and learning.   

In keeping with the school’s vision for learning, a strong and unrelenting focus on individual achievement is evident. Teachers gather information through observations and standardised testing. This information is used effectively to monitor progress and achievement at key points in time. Targeted interventions and differentiated class teaching is enabling most to children achieve their potential.      

Professional learning and development for teachers is relevant and ongoing. A recent school-wide focus on differentiated teaching and learning is influencing teaching practice. Grouping is flexible and there is cross grouping between classes for literacy and mathematics, to enable children to learn alongside peers who are achieving at similar levels. Leaders have identified the need for focused development in the teaching of writing, in response to the school’s achievement information. This development is successfully influencing teaching practice, evidenced by a significant shift of the proportion of children achieving the National Standard in writing in 2016.  

Children experience a wide range of rich and varied learning opportunities in a family orientated environment. The agreed values, respect, responsibility, resilience, and resourcefulness underpin relationships amongst children and with their teachers, and contribute to a positive and supportive school culture. 

The school and its community continue to work in partnership to provide a very well-resourced and up-to date educational environment for children and their families. A digital class at the senior level is highly engaging for learners. The school’s infrastructure and resourcing for digital technologies is well integrated into the curriculum. The modernisation and refurbishment of the junior classes has resulted in a shared and collaborative approach to teaching and learning.   

 

Further development is needed in internal evaluation practices to achieve equity and excellence. 

Performance management and curriculum review systems are not being fully implemented. 

Teachers’ appraisal goals need to be more specific. Leaders recognise the need to ensure that timetabled and formal observations of teaching practice are undertaken consistently. Currently, teachers are not receiving relevant, written feedback, necessary to enable them to build their capability and better meet the needs of all children who are at risk of not achieving equitable outcomes.   

The school’s curriculum document is in need of a full and collaborative review. This is necessary to ensure that the school’s documented curriculum reflects current and emerging practice in relation to: 

 pedagogy in a collaborative learning space (junior classes)

 e-learning in the classroom

 the expectations of Ka Hikitia and Tātaiako. 

Not all achievement targets have the specific aim of accelerating the progress of identified at risk groups of learners. Some improvement plans lack specificity and alignment to other operations such as appraisal, teaching as inquiry and professional learning to build capability.    

Before the review, the board and principal of the school completed the ERO board assurance statement and self-audit checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to the following: 

 board administration

 curriculum

 management of health, safety and welfare

 personnel management

 asset management.    

 

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing: 

 emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

 physical safety of students

 teacher registration and certification

 processes for appointing staff

 stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students

 attendance

 school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014. 

 

Going forward  

Children are achieving well. The school demonstrates strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes, supported by effective, sustainable processes and practices. 

Agreed next steps are to review and strengthen: 

 performance management systems

 the school’s curriculum  

 management and use of school-wide achievement information. 

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years. 

 

 

Lynda Pura-Watson Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty 

12 June 2017