Education REVIEW REPORT:
SHERWOOD SCHOOL (AUCKLAND)
1. About the School
Location Browns Bay, North Shore City
Ministry of Education profile number 1481
School type Contributing Primary (Year 1-6) Decile rating 10
Teaching staff:
SHERWOOD SCHOOL (AUCKLAND)
1. About the School
Location Browns Bay, North Shore City
Ministry of Education profile number 1481
School type Contributing Primary (Year 1-6) Decile rating 10
Teaching staff:
Roll generated entitlement 24.92
Other .75
Number of teachers 26
Other .75
Number of teachers 26
School roll 431
Number of international students 11
Gender composition Boys 53%, Girls 47%
Ethnic composition:
NZ European/Pākehā 46%, Māori 5%, Chinese 6%, South East Asian 6%, Cook Island Māori and Niue 1%, other Asian 13%, other 23%,
Special features:
Review team on site April 2009
Date of this report 26 June 2009
Previous ERO reports:
• Education Review, May 2006
• Education Review, October 2002
• Assurance Audit, October 1995
• Effectiveness Review, July 1993
• Review, 1991
2. The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation
Sherwood School (Auckland) is a decile 10 school that provides a good standard of education for Year 1 to 6 children. The school is situated on Auckland’s North Shore and caters for an increasingly diverse community. The 2006 ERO report noted that the school was entering a new stage of development and was supported by a strong senior management team.
The principal and senior managers have continued to lead the school through carefully considered improvements. There has been an emphasis on providing students with a well planned, cohesive and consistent approach to teaching and learning, supported by effective professional learning and development. A collaborative team approach is now well developed across the school and provides leadership opportunities for many teachers.
The school has a positive and friendly tone and mutually respectful relationships are evident between teachers and students. Teaching programmes are well planned using achievement data to meet the learning needs of individuals and groups of students.
School-wide achievement information for literacy and numeracy shows that the majority of students are achieving at or above levels expected for their chronological age.
The board, community and staff have worked collaboratively to develop the school’s vision and values. Trustees are enthusiastic and committed to improving outcomes for students. They have a good understanding of their governance role and decisions about resourcing are well considered. Trustees have a high profile in the school and are supportive of management and staff. A positive home/school partnership is characterised by the good levels of support that parents provide for their children’s learning.
The board, principal and staff are focused on helping students to achieve educational success.
Future Action
ERO is confident that the board of trustees can manage the school in the interests of the students and the Crown and bring about the improvements outlined in this report.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
3. The Focus of the Review
Student Achievement Overall
ERO’s education reviews focus on student achievement. What follows is a statement about what the school knows about student achievement overall.
Senior managers and staff continue to collate and analyse student achievement data in literacy and numeracy to identify children’s learning strengths and needs. The information is also used to provide appropriate support for at-risk students. Senior managers realise the importance of being able to compare Sherwood Primary School children’s achievement with national averages and expectations and consequently use a range of nationally-normed assessment tools. Teachers use student achievement data to inform planning for units of work across the curriculum.
Over the past two years, most students have achieved at or above national expectations for numeracy and literacy. School data analysis for 2008 includes comparisons between the achievement of Māori and non-Māori students. Because of the small numbers of Māori students at some year levels in the school, accurate statistical comparisons cannot be made. However, overall, the achievement of Māori students compares favourably with that of non-Māori.
Assessment of reading ages in the ‘digital classrooms’ (DCs) shows that in Year 4, there is little difference between students’ achievement in DCs and non-DCs. Managers are planning to carry out longitudinal studies tracking DC children to identify possible correlations between achievement and attitudes to learning.
New assessment tools were introduced and trialled in 2008 and continued in 2009. Baseline data gathered in 2009 will be used to measure and track the progress of students at all year levels.
School Specific Priorities
Before the review, the board of Sherwood School (Auckland) was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the school to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the board of trustees. This discussion focused on existing information held by the school (including student achievement and self‑review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to the achievement of the students at Sherwood School (Auckland).
ERO and the board have agreed on the following focus areas for the review:
• the quality of teaching and learning.
Number of international students 11
Gender composition Boys 53%, Girls 47%
Ethnic composition:
NZ European/Pākehā 46%, Māori 5%, Chinese 6%, South East Asian 6%, Cook Island Māori and Niue 1%, other Asian 13%, other 23%,
Special features:
- Before and After School Care (BASC)
Review team on site April 2009
Date of this report 26 June 2009
Previous ERO reports:
• Education Review, May 2006
• Education Review, October 2002
• Assurance Audit, October 1995
• Effectiveness Review, July 1993
• Review, 1991
2. The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation
Sherwood School (Auckland) is a decile 10 school that provides a good standard of education for Year 1 to 6 children. The school is situated on Auckland’s North Shore and caters for an increasingly diverse community. The 2006 ERO report noted that the school was entering a new stage of development and was supported by a strong senior management team.
The principal and senior managers have continued to lead the school through carefully considered improvements. There has been an emphasis on providing students with a well planned, cohesive and consistent approach to teaching and learning, supported by effective professional learning and development. A collaborative team approach is now well developed across the school and provides leadership opportunities for many teachers.
The school has a positive and friendly tone and mutually respectful relationships are evident between teachers and students. Teaching programmes are well planned using achievement data to meet the learning needs of individuals and groups of students.
School-wide achievement information for literacy and numeracy shows that the majority of students are achieving at or above levels expected for their chronological age.
The board, community and staff have worked collaboratively to develop the school’s vision and values. Trustees are enthusiastic and committed to improving outcomes for students. They have a good understanding of their governance role and decisions about resourcing are well considered. Trustees have a high profile in the school and are supportive of management and staff. A positive home/school partnership is characterised by the good levels of support that parents provide for their children’s learning.
The board, principal and staff are focused on helping students to achieve educational success.
Future Action
ERO is confident that the board of trustees can manage the school in the interests of the students and the Crown and bring about the improvements outlined in this report.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
3. The Focus of the Review
Student Achievement Overall
ERO’s education reviews focus on student achievement. What follows is a statement about what the school knows about student achievement overall.
Senior managers and staff continue to collate and analyse student achievement data in literacy and numeracy to identify children’s learning strengths and needs. The information is also used to provide appropriate support for at-risk students. Senior managers realise the importance of being able to compare Sherwood Primary School children’s achievement with national averages and expectations and consequently use a range of nationally-normed assessment tools. Teachers use student achievement data to inform planning for units of work across the curriculum.
Over the past two years, most students have achieved at or above national expectations for numeracy and literacy. School data analysis for 2008 includes comparisons between the achievement of Māori and non-Māori students. Because of the small numbers of Māori students at some year levels in the school, accurate statistical comparisons cannot be made. However, overall, the achievement of Māori students compares favourably with that of non-Māori.
Assessment of reading ages in the ‘digital classrooms’ (DCs) shows that in Year 4, there is little difference between students’ achievement in DCs and non-DCs. Managers are planning to carry out longitudinal studies tracking DC children to identify possible correlations between achievement and attitudes to learning.
New assessment tools were introduced and trialled in 2008 and continued in 2009. Baseline data gathered in 2009 will be used to measure and track the progress of students at all year levels.
School Specific Priorities
Before the review, the board of Sherwood School (Auckland) was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the school to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the board of trustees. This discussion focused on existing information held by the school (including student achievement and self‑review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to the achievement of the students at Sherwood School (Auckland).
ERO and the board have agreed on the following focus areas for the review:
• the quality of teaching and learning.
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
Background
The 2006 ERO report recommended that senior managers work with teachers to improve systems for involving students in formative assessment processes and for tracking the progress of individual students. Since the last ERO review the school has had a focus on developing a ‘values tree’ and a primary years programme (PYP) learner profile. Teamwork, and leadership opportunities for teachers, support these initiatives.
Staff and managers have participated in professional development on numeracy, PYP, literacy, and the Ministry of Education Extending High Standards Across Schools (EHSAS) contract, with a focus on raising student achievement through the inquiry process. In the light of these professional development initiatives, the board asked ERO to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in the school.
Student progress and achievement
The school has good systems in place for assessing student progress and achievement in literacy and numeracy. Senior managers complete a thorough analysis and evaluation of achievement data for all levels of the school. Classroom teachers use assessment information to group students for targeted instruction, and for reporting to parents. Achievement information gathered by the school is reported to the board and is used to inform strategic planning. Achievement targets set in the annual plan align with national expectations.
Learning environment. Students experience classroom environments that are conducive to learning. Mutual respect between students and teachers is evident. Students participate actively in class discussions and activities. They enjoy a range of purposeful activities and have access to a variety of information and communication technologies. Well resourced classrooms increase opportunities for teachers to explore innovative ways of delivering the curriculum and enable students to access information from the wider information landscape. Students’ work is shared and affirmed through attractive classroom displays.
Collaborative team work. The consistent implementation of a collaborative school-wide approach to teaching and learning is evident in:
• the professional and supportive manner in which the senior management team works together and supports staff;
• the principal’s distributed leadership approach, which gives staff opportunities to lead school-wide initiatives;
• the ways in which teaching staff work in teams across year levels to plan, assess and share ideas so that teaching practice is continually improved; and
• opportunities for staff to engage in regular professional discussions about the analysis and use of student achievement and ways in which they could further improve students’ learning outcomes.
Planning for learning. Teachers implement a consistent approach to teaching and learning. Guidelines and expectations for planning, assessment and evaluation are documented and implemented across the school. Teachers have opportunities to plan and assess collaboratively in teams and tailor their lesson plans to meet the specific learning needs of their class. Records of children’s learning are kept so that teachers and students have a clear overview of how well they have progressed over time.
Use of student achievement data. Teachers use student achievement information in literacy and numeracy to monitor the strengths and learning needs of individual and groups of children. Student achievement information is used by teachers to review and refine class programmes and to guide reflection on their own teaching practice.
Sharing student achievement data. Senior managers provide the board and parents with good information about student achievement. Detailed reports provide a clear overview of how well students are achieving across the school. This information is used to support decisions about resourcing and professional development opportunities for teachers. An improved system for reporting individual student achievement means that parents have a clearer understanding of their child’s progress and of ways in which they can support future learning.
Numeracy. Teachers use numeracy teaching strategies that enable students to engage in discussions about numeracy concepts and make good use of achievement data so that activities are relevant to students. They are developing skills that help them to problem solve and improve their mathematical thinking. These strategies provide a good base for the development of transferable skills in other areas of their learning.
Strategic direction. Trustees and senior managers have a clear strategic direction for the development of the school and are focused on improving learning opportunities and outcomes for students. Their planning for the school includes:
• working with parents and staff to establish an agreed set of values;
• ensuring that the school is able to cater effectively for students who require additional learning support by providing adequate resources and pastoral care;
• introducing programmes focused on developing students’ skills for future learning;
• providing teachers with ongoing, focused professional development opportunities; and
• ensuring that the physical environment of the school is conducive to learning.
Refined appraisal process. The senior management team has made significant improvements to the performance management system. This system provides a sound framework for ongoing and useful staff performance appraisal. The refined process encourages staff to reflect more specifically on the ways in which their teaching improves learning opportunities for students.
4. Areas of National Interest
Overview
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole to Government to be used as the basis for long-term and systemic educational improvement. ERO also provides information about the education sector for schools, parents and the community through its national reports.
To do this ERO decides on topics and investigates them for a specific period in all applicable schools nationally.
During the review of Sherwood School (Auckland) ERO investigated and reported on the following areas of national interest. The findings are included in this report so that information about the school is transparent and widely available.
Success for Māori Students:
In this review, ERO evaluated the extent to which the school was familiar with the Māori Education Strategy – Ka Hikitia: Managing for Success and progress made since the last review in promoting success at school for Māori students. Eighteen Māori students attend Sherwood School, which is similar to the number attending at the time of the 2006 ERO review.
Monitoring achievement. The progress and achievement of Māori students is well monitored by trustees and school managers. Literacy and numeracy reports to the board provide data that enables the board to compare the achievement of Māori students across the school to that of other groups of students. These reports provide trustees with information on overall outcomes for Māori students. Senior staff follow up on any concerns about the achievement of Māori students, using individual student data to make decisions about interventions to support improvement. Māori students achieve at levels that are similar to those of their peers.
Engaging with the school’s Māori community: Since the 2006 ERO review, the board has improved processes for engaging with the Māori community. The board’s formal consultation meetings are facilitated by a Māori staff member. The principal reports on Māori student achievement at annual hui. Parents present at the school’s 2008 meeting made positive comments about their children’s education.
Whānau actively support Māori students’ participation in the kapa haka group. Some Māori parents provide support through sports coaching, supervising ‘walking school buses’, and assisting with class cultural activities. This involvement provides staff with informal opportunities to keep in touch with parents. Māori students benefit from the positive involvement of whānau in their education.
The Achievement of Pacific Students:
In this review ERO evaluated the progress the school has made since the last review in improving the achievement of its Pacific students and in initiatives designed to promote improved achievement. The school has a small number of Pacific students. Numeracy achievement data for 2009 specifically shows the achievement of Pacific students.
The Teaching of Reading and Writing in Years 1 and 2
As part of this review ERO looked at how well teachers assess, plan and teach reading and writing to students in Years 1 and 2, and how well the school promotes high levels of student achievement in reading and writing in Years 1 and 2.
Clear expectations. The school literacy overview specifies clear achievement expectations for the first two years at school. Benchmarks are aligned with national expectations and students’ progress is assessed regularly. Senior managers use this assessment information to identify students who are at risk of underachieving and appropriate programmes are put in place. These strategies are helping to ensure that teaching is responsive to students’ needs.
Teacher knowledge about early literacy. Teachers have good professional knowledge about teaching literacy and are able to respond to students promptly and with confidence. Since the last ERO review, teachers have been involved in a range of professional development opportunities to develop their understanding of effective literacy practices. They report that this professional development is leading to significant changes in their approach to teaching literacy. Good quality teaching of reading and writing should impact positively on student literacy achievement.
Monitoring of reading and writing. Senior managers use achievement information in reading and writing to determine how well students are learning. A collective understanding of the progressive development of writing skills and achievement is becoming well established. Teachers assess and discuss samples of student writing against national exemplars and set individual goals for students. This collaborative process generates rich dialogue about students’ learning, including sharing solutions and identifying possible opportunities for further professional learning and development.
Allocation of resources. Class timetables maximise reading and writing opportunities for students. Students are provided with opportunities to read and write every day. They have access to a good variety of appropriate learning resources to support their learning.
Teamwork. Teachers work in teams to plan, assess and share ideas to improve and sustain effective practice. The ongoing use of evaluation and reflection on programmes and practice enables teachers to adapt their programmes to meet students’ needs so that they can further improve students’ learning outcomes.
Consolidating and embedding deliberate acts of teaching. Teachers have accessed professional development on using student achievement information to set instructional objectives for individual students.
Implementing the New Zealand Curriculum in 2010
In preparing for teaching the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) in 2010 the school has:
• developed, with trustees, staff, and the community, school values and a vision linked to the New Zealand Curriculum;
• reviewed programmes in each learning area covered through the school programme of inquiry (POI) to ensure that New Zealand Curriculum objectives are included;
• encouraged ongoing staff reflection on New Zealand Curriculum development through staff meetings, and work with two other schools in the EHSAS cluster on developing New Zealand Curriculum aligned inquiry learning frameworks; and
• included a key competency checklist in programme of inquiry frameworks to guide teacher planning.
Provision for International Students
Compliance with the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students and the Provision of English Language Support
Sherwood School (Auckland) is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. This is a requirement of all schools that enrol international students in terms of the Act. Schools are also required to provide English language support for their international students.
A welcoming environment. On arrival, international students are warmly welcomed to the school. They state that other students in the school willingly seek them out to make friends and that staff are friendly and approachable. They enjoy access to play areas and the resources that support their learning. This welcoming environment enables international students to settle quickly and confidently into school routines. Good systems are in place to monitor the children’s emotional wellbeing in the school.
A sound ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) programme. Good quality, detailed assessment by the ESOL teacher helps to establish an appropriate programme for each student, based on their individual strengths and needs. The initial focus of programmes during students’ withdrawal from mainstream classes is on the development of their ability in listening and speaking. Progression to reading and writing follows as students develop their confidence in spoken English. Students state that their ability to speak and understand English has improved rapidly over a relatively short period. International students return to mainstream literacy classes after mutual agreement between the student, their parents and the ESOL teacher.
5. Board Assurance on Compliance Areas
Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of Sherwood School (Auckland) completed an ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:
• board administration;
• curriculum;
• management of health, safety and welfare;
• personnel management;
• financial management; and
• asset management.
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on students’ achievement:
• emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment);
• physical safety of students;
• teacher registration;
• stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions; and
• attendance.
Each school needs to acknowledge that bullying is a risk to be managed. Sherwood School provides a comprehensive pastoral care framework and actively promotes a culture of respect for others. Programmes are in place to deal with instances of bullying should they occur.
Future Action
ERO is confident that the board of trustees can manage the school in the interests of the students and the Crown and bring about the improvements outlined in this report.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
