EDUCATION REVIEW OFFICE REPORT

To the Parents and Community of Kaitaia College.
​​​​​​​These are the findings of the Education Review Office's latest report on Kaitaia College.

SCHOOL CONTEXT

Kaitaia College provides education for Years 9 to 13 for students from an extensive rohe: Te Hapua in the north, Mangamuka in the south, Oruaiti in the east, and Pangaru, Pawarenga and Herekino in the west. More than 70 percent of the students are Māori and the remainder are primarily Pākehā. A significant proportion of Māori students whakapapa to the Muriwhenua iwi consisting of Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupouri, Ngai Takoto, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Kahu. Intergenerational connections of whānau, hapū and iwi, as well as strong ties to the community’s Dalmatian and European heritages, remain features of the school.

The principal leads a senior leadership team that includes two long-serving deputy principals and two recently appointed members. Many teachers and support staff have been employed at the school for a number of years and many have strong connections to the Kaitaia area. The school has a Services Academy on site and the alternative education facility, Waitomo Papakainga, is located close to the college.

Since ERO’s 2015 report, teachers have been involved in professional learning initiatives, particularly in literacy, cultural responsiveness and digital learning. Kaitaia College is a member of Te Kāhui Tai Kura o te Hiku, Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (COL).

The school is guided by its whakataukī, “Kia pere tātou ki te kuaka, me tu whakahorohorotahi ki ō tātou tino kokiringa. Kia taea ae tēnei, ka angitu ake tātou ki ngā kapua teiteinga” and its values that promote Mahi Tahi, Manaaki, Hau Kainga and Integrity.The college’s strategic goals aim to provide a curriculum that is strongly connected to Muriwhenua and ensures students’ success in a range of areas.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, information about outcomes in:

• academic progress and achievement for all students and groups of students
• student engagement, wellbeing and attendance over time
• student success and participation in sporting and cultural activities
• progress against the school’s strategic goals.

The board of trustees, supported by Muriwhenua iwi, has managed significant property development to enhance the school’s learning environment. ERO’s 2015 report identified the need to improve curriculum design, the use of student achievement data, internal evaluation, health and safety, and teachers’ appraisal processes. School leaders and staff have responded well to these recommendations.

EVALUATION FINDINGS

1. Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

Kaitaia College is working towards achieving equitable outcomes and raising achievement levels for all students. Teachers set global achievement targets in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Levels 1 and 2. Targets are also set in literacy, numeracy and digital fluency achievement for Years 9 and 10 students.

National Certificate of Educational Achievement data shows that over the past three years, the majority of students gained Levels 1, 2 and 3. Achievement data indicate a positive upward trend at NCEA Level 3 and University Entrance for Māori students, with most of these students achieving NCEA Level 2. Literacy and numeracy achievement overall, show high levels of achievement. This achievement is better than or comparable to similar schools. The quality of achievement has improved with increased NCEA endorsements at Levels 1 and 3.

Years 9 and 10 student achievement in literacy and mathematics show an increasing number of these students make accelerated progress.

Most students achieve very well in relation to other valued outcomes, such as:

• manaakitanga
• building positive learning relationships with each other and their teachers
• taking on leadership roles
• expressing their cultural identity.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

School leaders and teachers are increasingly effective at responding to students whose learning and achievement needs acceleration.

School leaders and teachers have taken positive steps to implement a range of strategies designed to accelerate students’ learning. More manageable assessment approaches to support deeper learning are being offered. Programmes are adapted to better meet students’ needs, respond to career pathways and increase learning engagement. There is a schoolwide focus on literacy across the curriculum, with targeted acts of teaching developing students’ subject specific knowledge.

Students with additional learning needs are well supported in Te Puna Aroha, the learning support facility. Provision for their learning has improved significantly with targeted resourcing, well-coordinated systems, and greater collaboration between teachers and external agencies.

The school is implementing programmes that increase opportunities for Māori and Pacific students to succeed. Staff have a strong focus on developing culturally responsive and relational teaching and learning practices to encourage greater engagement. Te Kuaka Mārangaranga, a Year 9 class bilingual programme enables students to learn in relevant, integrated and interactive contexts. Students’ progress is monitored and supported through their teachers’ collaborative planning.

2. School conditions for equity and excellence - processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence,
​​​​​​​       and acceleration of learning?

High quality school leadership supports equity and excellence. School leaders have a deliberate focus on improving outcomes for students through a well-planned approach aligned to the strategic goals.

Leaders and staff have established a positive culture of care and support for all students. Respectful relationships effectively empower students to engage in learning, build resilience, and enhance wellbeing.

School leadership is promoting sustainable improvement. The principal skilfully enables collaborative and professional change to occur. High expectations for staff are appropriately balanced with strong levels of relational trust and systems for accountability. Senior leaders are well respected by students, parents and staff. They operate strategically with aroha to provide cohesion and consistency across the school.

The spirit of leadership is fostered in students. Students in Years 9 to 13 increasingly lead a variety of initiatives that include service, peer support, and sporting and cultural events. This enables students to contribute to the wider community and to develop their confidence and personal attributes.

The school’s curriculum is responsive to students’ individual strengths and talents, allowing them to flourish and excel in a range of learning areas. Students are connected and engaged in their learning. They experience a coherent curriculum that is increasingly relevant and authentic. Students benefit from learning opportunities with direct links to further pathways. A broad and rich curriculum design helps to extend and promote their success. Education outside the classroom, including overseas and national opportunities, broadens students’ learning experiences and often provides them with historical and cultural links.

Wellbeing values are actioned in the school’s curriculum. Students’ access to wellbeing support is promoted through highly effective and culturally responsive pastoral care structures, systems and processes. They participate in an increasingly progressive health curriculum that is responsive to their needs.

Positive and affirming relationships underpin student success. Open and collaborative relationships allow whānau/parents to feel they are valued contributors to their child’s learning. This inclusive relationship supports student wellbeing and learning.

Internal evaluation promotes equity and excellence well. School leaders and teachers collaborate in cycles of deep evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building. These established processes are purposeful, comprehensive, and drive school improvement.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity
      and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

To sustain and further support equity and excellence, the school leaders should continue:

• aligning curriculum design and effective teaching and learning systems and strategies, to build teacher capability to accelerate learning

• developing teachers’ capability to support students’ future pathways to success.

3. Other Matters

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to theEducation (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016(the Code) established undersection 238F of the Education Act 1989.The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. At the time of this review there were no international students attending the school.

4. Board Assurance on Legal Requirements

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
• finance
• 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.

To improve practice, the Board of Trustees should ensure policies are regularly reviewed.

5. ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Kaitaia College’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

6. Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• effective leadership that has a focus on equity and excellence
• a responsive curriculum that engages students in their learning
• a supportive school culture that promotes students’ belonging, learning and wellbeing
• robust internal evaluation that sustains ongoing improvement.

NEXT STEPS

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:

• aligning systems to support meaningful curriculum design and effective teaching and learning strategies
• developing teachers’ capability to ensure that students reach their potential
• consolidating strategies and approaches to accelerate student progress and achievement.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
7 June 2019

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