The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

Opoho School is a small urban school catering for students in Years 1 to 6. The school aims to develop a sense of community within the school and be a vital part of the wider local community. For many years the school has included environmental education as a major focus of learning programmes. In recent months, the junior classrooms have been remodelled and now have interactive whiteboards for teachers and students to use. The school hosts after-school and holiday programmes.

The 2004 ERO review identified several areas the school could further develop. These included guidelines for teaching, assessing and reporting; a framework to strengthen the implementation of environmental education; and formalising
safety-check systems. Significant progress has been made in all these areas.

The focus of this review was on the effectiveness of the school’s internal review processes to improve outcomes for students. As part of reviewing the school’s review procedures, ERO included the academic, social, cultural, physical and emotional development of the students and the effectiveness of the teaching approaches in developing students into life-long learners. ERO also investigated Māori student achievement, provision for international students and the school’s pandemic planning and preparedness. The Board of Trustees’ compliance with requirements, particularly those related to the safety of students, was reviewed and no concerns were identified.

The board receives comprehensive reports on student achievement in all areas of the curriculum. These reports show that the vast majority of students achieve at or above the school’s expectations. The school sets its expectations against national curriculum levels. Māori students achieve at similar levels to their non-Māori peers. Student achievement information is used to set appropriate targets to raise achievement for groups of students. These targets focus mainly on increasing levels in literacy and mathematics. This year the school has included a fitness target as well.

Students benefit from good quality teaching throughout the school. Teachers use useful strategies to focus students on their learning. These include sharing the learning intentions of lessons with students, providing appropriate feedback of their learning and identifying next learning steps. Classroom records show that teachers monitor the progress and achievement of individual students. This information is used to identify both students requiring learning support and students needing to be extended.

A major goal for the school is for students to acquire skills and attitudes to be life-long learners. Students are developing appropriate inquiry skills to gather and process meaningful information. Teachers use a variety of approaches to encourage and extend students’ thinking. They purposefully teach the students methods they can use to organise their ideas and newly discovered information.

The board, principal and teachers promote all aspects of the students’ development. The school has developed a social skills programme that includes whanāu groups and buddy programmes, and a code of conduct that the students have direct input into. Students have many opportunities to compete in a variety of sports teams. School staff and parents coach these teams. Every two years, students are involved in the school’s musical production. The school has developed an integrated school-wide Māori programme that includes the teaching and learning of te reo Māori. Teachers integrate Māori perspectives into their units of study where appropriate.

Students’ learning programmes and learning environment are regularly evaluated through an effective review process. All curriculum areas and aspects of school operations are reviewed. Over a three-year period, the board systematically and comprehensively reviews all policies and procedures relating to the national administrative guidelines. Feedback is sought from students, parents and teachers, and parents and teachers are consulted with as part of the review process. Collected information is well analysed and the identified areas of concern and/or development are responded to appropriately. A deeper understanding and involvement of all school staff in the review process would assist in the sustainability of this good practice.