Courtesy

 

Edmonton Primary School

                2010 ERO Report to Parents

 

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on

Edmonton School.

 

 

Edmonton School, in Waitakere City, caters for students in Years 1 to 6.  The demographic profile of the community is changing, and more Pacific students are now enrolled in the school.  The stability of the long-serving staff helps to give the school a strong sense of family and community.  The settled working atmosphere of the school provides a sound foundation for students’ learning.

 

Students are open, friendly and polite. They work co-operatively in classrooms and play well together in the playground and in team sports. Students respond positively to the routines of the school, gaining confidence and security from its well-established practices.  They are proud of their achievements and demonstrate a willingness to learn and a readiness to take more control of their own learning.  Students enjoy access to a good variety of extra-curricular activities that help them to develop their special talents.

 

The senior management team has continued to improve the school’s assessment procedures. The helpful reporting procedure developed bye the principal will provide parents with detailed information about their children’s attainment levels against national standards.  Assessment data show that most students make good progress in core curriculum areas, especially where teaching and learning is tightly focussed.

Good progress is made by students throughout each year, including Māori students.

The accelerated progress that many new entrant students make in their first year at school sets them up well for their future learning.  The senior management team continues to analyse school-wide achievement information. They agree that further refinement of data analyses would provide the board and community with more precise information about student achievement levels over time.

 

Teachers have undertaken extensive school-wide professional development for many years.  The new learning they have gained from this training is reflected in some high quality teaching programmes.  More in-class mentoring and coaching may help all teachers to more consistently apply new professional learning.  Teachers, especially in the senior school, could benefit from further support to provide more student-centred and inquiry-focused programmes.  All teachers could make more use of information and communication technologies to enhance students’ learning.

 

The senior management team, consisting of experienced educators with complementary skills, has effectively addressed areas for improvement identified in the 2007 ERO report.  The principal keeps the board of trustees well informed about school operations and educational issues.  School self-review processes continue to operate, and the board is now keen to extend the range and type of feedback it seeks

 

about the effectiveness of the school.  The board is particularly interested in extending its partnership with Pacific parents as one way of helping support the achievement of Pacific students.

 

ERO and the board of trustees agree that the next stage of the school’s development should be to explore ways in which to involve students, particularly those in senior classes, in co-constructing their learning, setting goals and more intensive use of technology.

 

 

Future Action

 

The board of trustees has demonstrated that it is governing the school in the interest of the students and the Crown.  The board, together with the principal and school leaders, continues to focus on improving student learning: engagement, progress and achievement.  ERO is likely to carry out the next review within three years.

 

 

Review Coverage

 

This report provides an evaluation of how effectively the school’s curriculum promotes student learning: engagement, progress and achievement.  ERO’s evaluation takes account of the school’s previous reporting history and is based on:

 

· What is known about student achievement information, including the achievement of Māori and Pacific students;

 

· Decisions made to improve student achievement using the information; and

 

· Teaching strategies and programme implemented to give effect to the school’s curriculum.

 

ERO’s review is responsive to the school’s context.  For example, when ERO reviews a school, it takes into account the characteristics of the community, from which it draws its students, its location, and the aspirations the community has for its young people, and relevant local factors.

 

ERO also builds on the school’s own self-review information. That is, ERO is interested in how a school monitors the progress of its students and aspects of school life and culture, and how it uses this information.

 

ERO also gathers information during the review to contribute to its reports on national education evaluation topics. Comments relevant to this school are included in the report. The national reports are published on ERO’s website.

 

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the school or see the ERO website,  www.ero.govt.nz.