What ERO had to say about us:
Students participate in and achieve success across a range of regional activities and competitions in academic, cultural and sporting events and competitions.
High levels of on-task participation in the learning process are encouraging students to be engaged and successful. A variety of targeted programmes support and extend identified students with special needs and abilities. Students enjoy working in calm, settled classrooms that are strongly focused on learning.
Students continue to access sound education through the medium of Maori language in the Te Puna Matauranga unit. The whanau have reviewed and refined their vision for the future direction for learning, based on the principles and philosophies of local area traditions, beliefs, customs and values.
Teachers are hard working and use assessment information effectively in their classroom practice. Class assessment information is discussed frequently at syndicate level and recommendations are developed to modify teaching practice and inform annual targets. Professional development is having a significant impact on the effectiveness of learning and teaching programmes. Teachers use a wide range of learning and teaching strategies successfully. Students continue to access high quality learning opportunities.
The principal has a strategic approach to developing leadership and school improvement. He uses a distributed leadership style to empower staff to review and monitor practices, and make changes to school operations and curriculum delivery. Syndicate leaders maintain a strong focus on teaching and learning through a collaborative and inclusive team approach. They encourage professional dialogue within syndicates and effective mentoring that is assisting professional growth for teachers. This shared focus and monitoring of the school’s strategic direction is enhancing teaching practice to improve student achievement. The next step is for senior management, with the support of teachers, to review their expectations for the learning approaches to classroom programmes to further improve consistency of practice.
A strong passion for and belief in the school by all participants sets high expectations for learning. The recently elected board clearly articulates a commitment to providing quality opportunities and resourcing to sustain teaching programmes and learning for students. Trustees are enthusiastic and bring a range of knowledge, skills and interests to their governance roles. Active parent and community groups offer voluntary support for a range of activities that provide financial and service assistance to enhance students’ learning opportunities. The charter vision, developed with the community, is well understood and sets clear direction for school improvement. Appropriate evidenced-based annual targets for raising student achievement in reading and mathematics have been identified. The school should develop and implement an agreed Maori development plan to further improve the Maori dimension across the school.