Figure 1.--.
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Figure 1.--. |
The Educational Review Office (ERO) prepared the following assessment of a state contributing (elementary) school in Ashburton on South Island.
An accountability review evaluates the quality of education received by students and the performance of the Board of Trustees in providing education services. It should be noted however, that as yet in New Zealand there is no national assessment system through which improvements in student learning can be evaluated in comparative or individual school or student terms. This accountability review report was prepared in accordance with standard procedures approved by the Chief Review Officer.
Location: Ashburton
Type: Contributing School
Teaching staff: Roll generated entitlement--10
No of teachers--11
Teacher salary funding: Central Payroll Roll number 234
Ethnic composition: Pakeha 97%; Mäori 2%; other ethnic groups 1%
Gender composition: Girls 46%; Boys 54%
Previous Office reports: Assurance Audit, September 1995; Review, July 1992; On site investigation; 22 - 25 March, 1999; Date of this report 21 June 1999
A good quality education is provided at the school, but further developments are possible. Well planned programmes incorporate the
individual learning needs of the students and meet most of the requirements of the national curriculum. Well paced and varied learning
programmes challenge the students and encourage learning. Teachers need to continue their work in developing assessment and
monitoring systems that enable the teachers to identify how successful their programmes are in promoting student learning.
The board has made limited progress in meeting the actions identified in the 1995 assurance audit report. The previous principal
managed the day-to-day administration of the school well. However, the lack of leadership provided for the board and the staff meant
that the systems in place at the time of the previous review in 1995 were not maintained or developed. The leadership provided by the
deputy and assistant principals in their respective syndicates has enabled the teachers to maintain their focus on the education of the
students.
The acting principal is now providing suitable direction to the board and the teachers. Systems and procedures for the efficient
governance and management of the school are being put in place. Board members and teaching staff are enthusiastic about the new
developments. They are gaining confidence and believe that they will be able to complete the process.
The school’s systems and procedures are at a developmental stage. The board has yet to appoint a principal. For this reason, a
discretionary review will be undertaken at the school within six months to report on the progress the board has made in addressing the actions identified in Section 5 of this report.
The board does not receive enough information to reach conclusions on how well students are achieving. The syndicate reviews
provide the best data about learning programmes and on the progress of students participating in special needs programmes.
Standardised tests and some classroom assessments indicate an expected spread of achievement. Some students are achieving at high levels while others continue to require additional support.[Recommendation 5.2.1]
The acting principal and the senior staff use the syndicate structures well. Teachers provide well planned and delivered class
programmes. Their intention to increase consistency between the two syndicates should provide the students with better learning programmes as they progress through the school.
3.2.1 Documentation: The quality of curriculum documentation varies. The school programmes of work are up to date. The statements cover each curriculum area except for Mäori. Expectations of teachers in planning class programmes are clear. However, for all curriculum requirements to be met, the senior staff will need to extend the school curriculum plan in several areas.[Action 5.1.1] These areas include showing how:
· student progress is to be monitored and barriers to learning are to be addressed; · records of student progress are to be maintained; and · curriculum programmes will meet National Education Goals 9 and 10.
3.2.2 Self Review: The senior staff provide the board with a range of helpful curriculum review reports. The most informative are the syndicate reviews.
These reports provide the trustees with a comprehensive overview of school programmes, possible future directions and resource
needs. As the teachers gather and analyse more information on student achievement, they should include this detail in these
reports.[Recommendation 5.2.1] A mathematics review report prepared for the board was less useful. The acting principal and the senior staff are improving the review procedures so that reports on subjects are collaboratively written and presented to the board by the senior staff.
3.2.3 Leadership: During the review, the chairperson said that the board and the staff had been concerned that the previous principal provided little direction for the ongoing development of the school. During 1998, the board chairperson worked with a consultant to assist the
previous principal in identifying issues and working to overcome them. This process was, apparently, unsuccessful.
The acting principal is now working collaboratively to provide clear directions for school development. A positive working relationship
has been established with the staff who are actively encouraged and supported in developing their class programmes.
Sound leadership is provided at syndicate level where a focus on meeting the needs of the students and implementing effective learning programmes is being maintained.
3.2.4 Quality of Teaching: The quality of teaching in almost all classes is consistently good. The teachers provide students with well planned programmes by using
a range of teaching approaches. They promote learning by having high expectations for their students and by providing interesting and
varied programmes.
The two syndicate leaders promote high quality teaching by encouraging shared planning and using common programme cycles and
interchange teaching programmes.
Teachers provide attractive and purposeful learning environments. By displaying the students’ work in creative ways, they are encouraging the students to take a pride in their work and to enjoy sharing it with others.
Strained relationships between the board and the previous principal made it difficult for the board to function. By October 1998, the subcommittees in place at the time of the previous review in 1995, were no longer operating. The board is currently forming a number
of subcommittees to assist with its governance role. Since the resignation of the principal in 1998, the board and the relieving principal have begun developing an appropriate governance and management framework. They have prepared an annual development plan and they intend developing strategic plans. Board operations could be improved by extending the terms of reference of the subcommittees so that clear guidelines are provided for trustees in meeting the requirements of the National Administration Guidelines. Consultation and reporting requirements in relation to the health education syllabus have still to be met.[Action 5.1.3]
The board is aware that it needs to develop an ongoing self-review programme. Previous attempts by the board to maintain a self-review programme have not been successful. The board has requested assistance from the relieving principal to develop a self-review programme. It also intends to work with a consultant. The implementation of a self-review programme should help the trustees to identify school strengths and areas for future development within their particular delegations and across the school.[Action 5.1.4]
The board and the staff provide a welcoming and caring environment for the students and their families. They encourage parents to take an active interest in their child’s education and to visit the school regularly. As a consequence, the teachers and parents work together to make sure school and family attitudes and values complement each other.
The teachers have developed a comprehensive behaviour management package. These well documented procedures provide clear
guidelines for teachers and help parents to understand school practices. They also provide consistency in classroom and playground
behaviour.
The relieving principal and a senior staff member are developing a programme to check that students receive appropriate counselling
and guidance within the school and from outside support agencies. Once the programme is fully operational, the relieving principal
plans, as part of the school’s self-review programme, to analyse the information to make certain that all students receive good guidance
and support. The board and the staff, while promoting a safe physical and emotional environment, need to develop, extend or refine some
practices.[Action 5.1.5] They should:
· develop and implement procedures for checking playground equipment;
· review the risk management practices for trips away from school to make sure they are consistent in all areas;
· extend their survey practices to include the views of parents and students about the safety of the school environment;
· review their policy for handling any evidence of child abuse to make sure any person can report suspected child abuse directly to an appropriate outside agency without firstly consulting the principal.
The performance management system has still to be fully implemented. While the documentation has been approved by the Education Review Office, the principal should develop procedures that show how he will implement the performance management system.[Action 5.1.6]
The limited procedures for performance management caused difficulties during 1998. The previous principal did not appraise the deputy and assistant principals. The quality of the appraisal of individual teachers varied. Some teachers participated in
comprehensive appraisal programmes while others had no formal classroom observations and were unsure how the principal prepared
their appraisal report. Teachers interviewed during the review commented that they did not find the process affirming or worthwhile.
The teachers in consultation with the relieving principal are taking action to make sure the performance management system is helpful
and leads to high quality teaching practices. They have updated their job descriptions and developed indicators to show how
professional standards for teachers can be attained. The use of these indicators and the provision of more explicit guidelines for appraising and supporting staff should lead to improved outcomes for the students and greater job satisfaction for the staff.
Staff confidence and enthusiasm are increasing under the leadership of the relieving principal. He is establishing direction for the school and helping staff to understand better how the board supports them in their employment.
The previous principal did not always follow board policy when short listing staff as part of the appointments process. The board as
part of its self-review programme should review the content and implementation of the appointments policy.[Action 5.1.4] The relieving principal developed procedures to meet requirements relating to safety in the work place during the review. The board needs to make sure that these procedures are implemented.[Action 5.1.7]
The trustees have in place policies and procedures to assist them in meeting their financial responsibilities and most aspects of asset management. They have prepared a ten year maintenance plan. To meet the responsibilities of property management, the trustees
need to put in place a more comprehensive annual plan and clarify the roles of the board and its employees in this area.[Action 5.1.2] The board has still to meet the requirements for civil defence. It should relate the plans and procedures for civil defence more closely
to the needs of the school.[Action 5.1.8]
The board and the staff actively foster community participation. They encourage parents and family members to attend school events and support their child’s educational attainment, sport and social activities. They keep the community well informed about school events through the school and board newsletters. The board and staff value parent participation and seek to work in partnership with them for improved learning outcomes for the students.
In order to meet its agreed accountabilities, the board of trustees must:
5.1.1: meet all of the requirements of National Administration Guideline 1; [National Administration Guideline, 1 - 1993 National Education Guidelines]
5.1.2: document more fully how the National Education Guidelines are being met in the areas of curriculum, personnel, finance and property; [National Administration Guideline, 4(i) - 1993 National Education Guidelines]
5.1.3: consult with the community on the content of the health syllabus and the manner in which it will be taught. [Education Amendment Act, 1985, No. 124; National Administration Guidelines, 4(i) - 1993 National Education Guidelines]
5.1.4: aintain an ongoing programme of self-review;
[National Administration Guideline, 4(ii) - 1993 National Education Guidelines]
5.1.5: provide a safe physical and emotional environment for students; [National Administration Guideline, 5(i) - 1993 National Education Guidelines,]
5.1.6: implement performance management and appraisal procedures; [s77C State Sector Act, 1988 (New Zealand Gazette No 180:Dec.1996)]
5.1.7: implement requirements related to occupational safety and health; and
[National Administration Guideline 2(i) 1993 National Education Guidelines,]
5.1.8: extend plans for coping during and following a civil defence emergency.
[S43-44 Civil Defence Act, 1983]
In order to improve its future performance and improve the quality of education provided to its students the board of trustees should consider:
5.2.1: requesting more explicit information from the staff about how well students are achieving.
The staff provide the students with interesting and challenging programmes that incorporate their learning needs and almost all requirements of the national curriculum. The teachers need to extend their systems for assessing and monitoring student achievement
and progress to identify areas where they can improve the learning outcomes for the students. The board has begun to develop and implement systems for governing and managing the school. It needs to make sure that the trustees and the senior management of the school fully implement and sustain these practices.
Isabell Sinclair Irwin signed
Area Manager
for Chief Review Officer
21 June 1999
21 June 1999--TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
This is a summary of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Tinwald School. A good quality education is provided at the school, but further developments are possible. Well planned programmes incorporate the individual learning needs of the students and meet most of the requirements of the national curriculum. Well paced and varied learning
programmes challenge the students and encourage learning. Teachers need to continue their work in developing assessment and monitoring systems that enable the teachers to identify how successful their programmes are in promoting student learning. The board has made limited progress in meeting the actions identified in the 1995 assurance audit report. The previous principal
managed the day-to-day administration of the school well. However, the lack of leadership provided for the board and the staff meant
that the systems in place at the time of the previous review in 1995 were not maintained or developed. The leadership provided by the
deputy and assistant principals in their respective syndicates has enabled the teachers to maintain their focus on the education of the
students.
The acting principal is now providing suitable direction to the board and the teachers. Systems and procedures for the efficient
governance and management of the school are being put in place. Board members and teaching staff are enthusiastic about the new
developments. They are gaining confidence and believe that they will be able to complete the process.
The school’s systems and procedures are at a developmental stage. The board has yet to appoint a principal. For this reason, a discretionary review will be undertaken at the school within six months to report on the progress the board has made in addressing the
actions identified in Section 5 of this report.
When ERO has reviewed a school we ask the board of trustees to let us know how they intend to manage any difficulties set out in their report (copies of which are available from the school or ERO). We also encourage boards to inform their community of any follow up action plan. You should talk to the board or principal if you have any questions about this summary, the full report or their future intentions. Isabell Sinclair Irwin signed Area Manager for Chief Review Officer
