Education REVIEW REPORT:
PIGEON MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

APRIL 2007

Disclaimer

Individual ERO school and early childhood centre reports are public information and may be copied or sent electronically. However, the Education Review Office can guarantee only the authenticity of original documents which have been obtained in hard copy directly from either the local ERO office or ERO Corporate Office in Wellington. Please consult your telephone book, or see the ERO web page, http://www.ero.govt.nz, for ERO office addresses.

This report has been prepared in accordance with standard procedures approved by the Chief Review Officer.

1. About the School

Location	Bucklands Beach, Manukau City
Ministry of Education profile number	1439
School type	Contributing (Year 1-6)
Decile rating[1]	10
Teaching staff: Roll generated entitlement Other Number of teachers	21 1 22
School roll	522
Number of international students	11
Gender composition	Boys 51%, Girls 49%
Ethnic composition	NZ European/Pākehā 33%, Māori 3%, Chinese 30%, Indian 9%, South African 7%, British 7%, other Asian 4%, Samoan 2%, Middle Eastern 2%, other European 2%, Australian 1%.
Review team on site	November 2006
Date of this report	29 April 2007
Previous ERO reports	Education Review, August 2003 Accountability Review, April 2000 Effectiveness Review, February 1996 Assurance Audit, August 1993

2. The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

Pigeon Mountain School is situated in Bucklands Beach, Auckland. The sustained focus of the board of trustees on environmental education is evident in the attractive grounds, for which students assume ownership and maintenance responsibilities. The values of caring for people and the environment and striving for continuous improvement result in ongoing enhancement of the school culture.

Students generally achieve very well. Teachers have high expectations for student achievement and challenge students to extend their capabilities. Appropriately challenging annual achievement targets are determined using well-analysed school data that inform teaching and learning priorities throughout the year. Achievement information for 2006 shows that students exceeded all achievement goals set in writing, mathematics and finding information.

The inclusive school culture clearly reflects values determined by the community. Cultural diversity is valued and new students are made welcome. Students are highly engaged, enthusiastic learners. The carefully planned integration of environmental education, pastoral care programmes, and a thinking and learning model based on Costa’s “Habits of Mind”, are strengths of the school. The well defined approach to holistic learning includes practical applications to philosophically based programmes that help students to become effective learners. Students demonstrate their ability to use initiative, creativity and diverse thought processes.

Teachers model enthusiasm for and commitment to learning in classrooms where supportive, caring and respectful interactions provide students with safe and stimulating environments. Students are set up for success through purposefully scaffolded teaching and learning processes. The range of teaching strategies evident in classrooms motivates students and caters for their individual interests, strengths and learning needs. Teachers’ professionalism is demonstrated by their commitment to continuous improvement in teaching practice. The current focus on assessment practice through the Assessment for Learning contract should be continued as it will help teachers share achievement information and increase students’ ownership of their learning.

The principal and associate principals provide sound leadership strongly focused on student achievement. They have clear roles focused on curriculum delivery and give strong support to teachers to enable them to develop their professional practice to enhance student outcomes. Robust self-review processes help senior managers and the board to determine strategic directions for the school, and contribute to the continuity and sustainability of current good practices.

Board planning and review are efficient and effective. Trustees bring to the board many useful skills that assist them to govern the school effectively. They have a sound understanding of their roles and responsibilities and actively participate in improving outcomes for students. The board is strongly supportive of the principal and senior management team and trustees demonstrate a shared commitment to the future direction of the school. A range of consultative practice enables parents’ views to be sought and well considered. Parental involvement and expertise is welcomed and valued.

This review includes an evaluation of the impact of charter values on student achievement. The report also provides an evaluation of the achievement of Māori and Pacific students, the quality of writing teaching at Year 4, provision for international students, provision for students who are underachieving, and school systems to ensure the safety of students. The principal, senior management and board demonstrate strong commitment to promoting continuous school improvement and high levels of student achievement.

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 will review the school again as part of the regular review cycle.

3. School Specific Priorities

The Focus of the Review

Before the review, the board of Pigeon Mountain School 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 Pigeon Mountain School.

ERO and the board have agreed on the following focus areas for the review:

· the impact of the charter values on student achievement.

ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.

The impact of the charter values on student achievement

Background

The school charter was recently reviewed to align parental aspirations with the vision, principles, values and key competencies outlined in the draft consultation document for the New Zealand curriculum. The board’s mission, to provide ‘education with a heart’, defines its intention to provide quality education in a caring environment. This aim links to the three programmes that underpin all school practices and operations: CARE (caring and respecting everyone); Art Costas ‘Habits of Mind’, (a programme that teaches students how to think and behave intelligently when faced with problems); and environmental education.

The charter states that the school values cultural diversity, caring for people and the environment, and taking responsibility for learning and achievement through continuous improvement. The board and ERO agreed that an evaluation of the impact on student achievement of the school values as affirmed in the charter would give the board useful information about how the school is progressing.

Student progress and achievement

A planned process for the regular school-wide collection, collation and recording of student achievement information provides teachers with sound guidelines. A planned approach to data collection helps senior managers to identify achievement trends and patterns and enables them to identify students who require extension programmes and additional support. In many curriculum areas, expectations for student achievement are clearly defined for each age group. Senior managers use student achievement information to set challenging goals that link to the school focus on literacy, numeracy and gaining information skills. Student achievement data about students’ ability to access and use information at Years 5 and 6 show significant gains have been made through a combined approach of targeted teaching in the classroom and in the library. The target of raising achievement in mathematics for students in Years 4-6 was fully met. Student achievement results exceeded school expectations and were significantly above national norms. A writing target set for a small group of students resulted in 94% of those students moving forward 1-6 sublevels, thus showing marked improvements in their achievement of writing skills.

Areas of good performance

Understanding the charter. The charter purposefully links parental aspirations to programmes and practices in the school. Statements identifying the behaviours, attitudes and practices that the school charter values are displayed in all rooms, referred to in daily broadcasts to students, linked to teacher planning and underpin programme delivery. Students and teachers are conversant with the skills and attributes that are encouraged in Pigeon Mountain students. The charter is a living document that underpins all programmes, operations and the culture of the school.

Student engagement in learning. Students engage enthusiastically in learning. They confidently share their learning and successes with peers and adults. Students are stimulated through participation in high interest and challenging programmes that are often closely linked to the key concepts of environmental education and ‘Habits of Mind’. The well-planned approach to building multiple skills and reinforcing previous learning enables students to work effectively in a variety of learning situations and contexts. Displayed learning prompts and clearly outlined tasks promote students’ ability to work independently. Students are highly motivated to succeed.

Student participation in programme direction. Students increasingly participate in future planning. While selected contexts for learning are curriculum related, teachers also recognise students’ abilities and experiences and provide opportunities for their individual growth and interests. Students contribute to school and class decisions that foster sustainability of their learning and of the environment. Tasks and projects completed by some students are used to provide additional learning opportunities for others. Some students confidently make presentations to adult audiences and appropriately advocate well researched improvements to the school environment and the wider community. These achievements reflect the charter value of promoting community partnership and caring for the environment.

Continuous improvement. Robust systems for self review are the driving force in determining the school’s direction. The self-review process is comprehensive and effective in identifying school-wide strengths and needs. Information from the review process is used to make changes to current practices and informs the trialling of new initiatives. Decisions regarding change and improvement to school operations and programmes are informed by input from teachers, parents and students. Analysed student achievement information is used to identify appropriate and challenging school targets. Staff involvement in professional development indicates a strong commitment to improving student achievement through the use of agreed, effective teaching practice. Students benefit from teachers’ work to achieve the charter goal of ongoing improvement to school programmes and practices.

Teaching strategies. A variety of well-researched teaching strategies support effective learning. Lessons are well paced, revisit prior learning and provide students with adequate time for consolidation. Teachers clearly state the intention of the lesson and expected outcomes in terms that students understand. This practice enables students to focus on developing specific skills and objectives. Teachers promote critical thinking through effective questioning and actively encourage students to justify their responses. They provide well-managed classrooms in which inclusive practice is conducive to learning. A good balance of teacher-directed and facilitated learning encourages student independence. Teachers and students work together in a positive learning culture.

Catering for students’ learning abilities and needs. Senior managers effectively identify and monitor students with special and specific learning abilities and needs. A clear framework for identification contributes to recognising students’ wide range of needs, abilities and talents. Teacher professional development in teaching gifted and talented students promotes classroom planning for appropriate and additional tasks for these students. Students with special abilities in physical education, music and mathematics receive additional extension from specialist teachers. Teachers’ acknowledge students’ different abilities and plan for graded levels of complexity in some learning activities. Students are challenged and supported in ways that match their identified strengths.

Learning environment. Three carefully selected philosophically based programmes (environmental education, CARE and Habits of Mind) contribute to the caring, nurturing culture that permeates the school. Classrooms are stimulating, vibrant environments, well resourced to match a range of learning needs. All students learn through a range of information and communication technologies (ICT) tools. The availability of ICT equipment in all learning areas enables teachers to incorporate ICT regularly into their teaching programmes. The school library is an attractive and welcoming student-centred learning area. The school priority on developing students’ skills in finding information is well supported through a combined classroom and library skills-based programme. The library has a positive profile in the school and is well used by parents and their children before school and by students during lunchtime.

Parents as informed learning partners. Parents are encouraged to be partners in their child’s learning. Newsletters provide comprehensive information on school and national programmes and initiatives and regularly include invitations for parents to participate in a variety of programmes and activities. Meetings held with various ethnic parent groups provide opportunities for them to discuss school processes and programmes. Students, parents and teachers are involved in a comprehensive, consultative interview process in which student progress is demonstrated as well as discussed. The strengths and expertise of the local community are used well to challenge and extend learning for students. These strategies provide consistent support for students’ learning.

Areas for improvement

Strengthening reflective practice. Teachers should continue to reflect on how well students have achieved expected outcomes, how their teaching practice has contributed to this, and how outcomes could be improved. Linking aspects of student achievement to teacher appraisal could further strengthen this process.

Written reports to parents. Students are assessed using tools that indicate their level of achievement and how well they are achieving compared to national expectations in literacy and numeracy, this information is shared in final reports for reading, and, in literacy and numeracy during the year with parents at three-way conferences. The content of school reports could be extended to ensure all parents receive good quality achievement information about students’ progress and achievement in all curriculum areas.

Portfolios are being reviewed with the view to refining their format. At present portfolios contain a variety of marked tests and some analysed samples of students’ writing together with information about student achievement against school expectations in literacy and numeracy. ERO agrees with senior managers that teacher annotation and student self assessment in portfolios could be strengthened and comments could be more closely linked to school-wide achievement expectations.

Assessment practices. The school is currently developing progressive achievement indicators or rubrics for many curriculum areas. The rubrics are specific and differentiate between levels of achievement and show how students’ work is being evaluated. These rubrics, written in language easily understood by students, would strengthen self and peer assessment practices, would enable students to identify their next learning goals and would provide a focus for teacher written feedback on students’ work.

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 Pigeon Mountain School 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.

The Achievement of Māori Students

During the review, ERO evaluated the extent to which the school has knowledge of and strategies for promoting the achievement of Māori students.

The 2003 report commented that the school collects achievement data for Māori students in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics and noted that Maori student achievement levels were similar to those of non-Māori students. The school continues to collect and analyse achievement information and provides programmes that improve the learning outcomes of the 15 students who identify as Māori. The school provides opportunities within classroom programmes and outside the school for Māori students to extend their knowledge and confidence as citizens of a bicultural New Zealand society.

Areas of good performance

Achievement. The proactive leadership of senior managers and the appointment of a teacher in charge of Māori curriculum studies contribute to Māori students reporting that they feel acknowledged and are achieving well. Māori students who require specialised assistance in specific learning areas are provided with targeted individual and group tuition. Teachers use achievement information to provide needs based learning programmes for individual students. The school is improving the scope and quality of achievement data for Māori students by tracking the progress of individual students from one year to the next.

Student engagement. Māori students engage positively in their learning and state that they enjoy and benefit from their school experiences. Relationships between Māori students and their teachers are positive. Indicators of engagement in learning, such as good attendance and low stand-down levels, suggest that Māori students are positively engaged at school.

Cultural environment. Students learn in an inclusive environment in which te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are integrated into programme planning and delivery. The integration of Māori perspectives in environmental education, together with school wide bilingual signage, provides students with a ‘sense of place’. Students’ knowledge and understanding of New Zealand’s bi-cultural heritage is supported through school programmes and practices.

Community consultation. The board consults biennially with Māori families about aspirations and planned strategic initiatives for their children. The school is committed to building a strong relationship with parents and with the local Māori community to develop and consult the Maori community about plans, policies and targets for improving the achievement of Māori students.

The Achievement of Pacific Students

During the review ERO evaluated the extent to which the school has knowledge of and strategies for promoting the achievement of its Pacific students. The school has five students who identify as Samoan.

Areas of good performance

Pacific student achievement. Pigeon Mountain School has too few Pacific students to enable valid analysis of trends and patterns in their achievement. However, progressive analysis of the achievement of individual Pacific students from the first year of attendance with continued tracking over subsequent years demonstrates student progress and achievement. Strategies to raise the achievement of Pacific students are being developed for identified students through school. Classroom teachers monitor the progress of each student individually and report this information to their parents as part of the school’s regular reporting system.

Cultural inclusion. Pigeon Mountain provides an inclusive environment that celebrates cultural diversity through various school activities, including student participation in community events.

Providing for Students who are Underachieving

ERO is currently evaluating how well schools are providing for those students in their school who are not achieving as well as they should. ERO’s findings for Pigeon Mountain School are summarised below.

Areas of good performance

Identifying underachievement. The school has good knowledge of the progress and achievement of its students overall. Comprehensive monitoring processes allow for early identification of those students who are not achieving as well as they should. These students’ needs are discussed with the deputy principal and the most appropriate intervention is determined. Early identification enables responsive interventions.

Provision of programmes. The school has several interventions to support those students who are underachieving. Programme provision is flexible and allows movement in and out of interventions in order to address specific needs. In-class support, planned by classroom teachers and implemented by teacher aides, assists individuals and small groups of students to match their specific needs. Withdrawal programmes aimed at improving reading and numeracy includes Reading Recovery, Rainbow Reading, and a programme focused on increasing numeracy knowledge at Year 6.

Area for improvement

Formalising programme impact. The impacts of particular programmes to raise children’s achievement are mostly measured informally. As part of its self-review programme, the school should formally evaluate the extent to which the interventions it currently provides are improving student progress and achievement and should then report this information to the board.

The Quality of Teaching for Year 4 Students: Writing

Writing is part of English in the New Zealand Curriculum, which is one of the curriculum statements covering the essential learning areas of the New Zealand curriculum.

Areas of good performance

Student achievement. Students’ progress in writing is monitored twice a year, using national writing exemplars. Detailed achievement information is discussed with students to determine future planning needs and is shared with parents during three-way reporting conferences. External moderation processes support the validity and reliability of achievement information. Achievement information for Year 4 students, in relation to the school’s target for achievement in writing, showed that most students made good gains.

Student engagement in writing. Students are clearly engaged in high interest writing activities. They are motivated by appropriate learning experiences and are challenged to extend their thinking through whole-class and small-group discussions. Teachers effectively link writing to oral language programmes to increase students’ literacy skills. Students enjoy a wide range of writing experiences and talk confidently about their work.

Understanding learning. Teachers skilfully scaffold teaching and learning processes to help students to become successful writers. Students participate in focused lessons that are clearly targeted to developing specific writing skills. Teachers regularly share the learning focus with students and lead student discussions to reflect on the work done. They explain and document a range of processes that students can use to achieve class goals. Teachers provide appropriate oral feedback to encourage ongoing improvements in the students’ work. Most students confidently describe class and group writing goals and can show how they develop new skills in their writing.

Writing guidelines. Well-documented guidelines for planning, implementing and assessing writing programmes provide a clear framework for teachers. Procedures for teaching writing are supported by references to recognised authors on the subject. This sound framework for planning and teaching ensures that programmes are well researched and match schoolwide expectations.

Provision for International Students

Compliance with the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students and the Provision of English Language Support

Pigeon Mountain School 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.

The school has yet to meet the requirements of the Code in terms of cross-cultural training and self review.

Areas of good performance

Student orientation and well-being. Students feel welcome and included at the school, where they have numerous opportunities to experience a wide range of facilities and activities. Clear orientation processes and booklets provide parents and their children with comprehensive information about the school. Well-considered class placement ensures that students have peers with whom they can interact socially. Students have access to staff support throughout the day. Graduation certificates and a memento of their time at the school demonstrate that staff recognise and value the contributions that these students have made to the school.

Learning support. Thorough initial assessment processes are used to identify students’ academic strengths and needs. Withdrawal language classes purposefully target students’ needs and are linked to topics in mainstream classes. Student progress is closely monitored. Students report they enjoy learning about New Zealand culture and customs and are justifiably proud of their progress in the use of English.

Areas for improvement

Cross-cultural training for staff. All staff who come into contact with international students should receive cross- cultural training on a regular and ongoing basis as required by the Code.

Reporting on self review. Performance review against compliance with the Code is undertaken at six monthly periods. Signatories must ensure that, while they report six monthly against the Code, review is carried out each quarter.

5. Board Assurance on Compliance Areas

Overview

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of Pigeon Mountain School 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.

Strategies for the Prevention of Bullying

ERO expects that each New Zealand school will have acknowledged that bullying behaviour is a risk to be managed.

As part of this review ERO talked to the board and staff about how the school organisation and culture supports the physical and emotional safety of students. In particular ERO asked about the strategies that the school has put in place to prevent bullying of all types and what the board and staff know about the success of these approaches.

The school describes its culture as being fully focused on ‘Education with a heart’.

In 2003 the school adapted the Ministry of Education’s Eliminating Violence and Managing Anger programme to develop their own Caring and Respecting Everyone (CARE) programme. An action plan, developed using baseline data and involving school wide consultation, outlines strategies to deal with bullying and is supported by ongoing professional development. The programme is reflected in the charter and strategic plan and includes annual parent and staff surveys to ensure its continued development and implementation.

As part of the CARE programme, the school states that in the past three years it has taken, and continues to take, a number of actions to prevent bullying. Teachers:

· promote the notion of a ‘telling school’ to ensure that students feel confident that incidents are dealt with quickly and efficiently;

· highlight the weekly focus on promoting specific all-school values at assemblies;

· include class discussions on strategies to deal with bullying;

· reward positive behaviour and contribution at assemblies;

· regularly send parents letters and articles in newsletters to promote the identification of incidents of bullying;

· maintain a ‘reporting bullying’ email address for parents and students;

· carefully consider classroom placement and buddy systems;

· have a ‘friendship seat’ in the playground to foster care for and inclusion of others;

· consistently implement the school behaviour management plan, which is beginning to incorporate the principles of restorative justice;

· provide lunchtime sporting programmes organised by teachers and students;

· promote a ‘home-school partnership’ that underpins positive values and behaviour; and

· through student, parent and staff surveys, collect and analyse data related to the CARE programme to inform the strategic direction for the school.

In addition, the school also promotes the following:

· use of the Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), who supports children and liaises with parents;

· the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme;

· talks by parents at school assemblies; and

· use of visiting actors to promote special relationships.

Recommendation

Senior managers should consider carrying out regular anonymous, bullying surveys so that issues are identified and incidents of bullying are recorded. This would enable trends and patterns to be identified and monitored and the effect of the anti-bullying programmes evaluated more fully.

Compliance

During the course of the review ERO identified areas of non-compliance. In order to address these the board of trustees must:

5.1 ensure that there is documented evidence that all non-teaching staff have been police vetted,

[Education Act 1989, s78C A,B,]; and

5.2 document and display plans for building evacuation and develop procedures for civil defence or other emergencies.

[National Education Guidelines 5 (1)].

During the review ERO talked to trustees about their concern over the location of the sickbay, which is out of the line of sight of office staff. While there are procedures in place for office staff to monitor students in the sickbay, the board agreed to strengthen these monitoring processes to ensure student safety.

6. Recommendations

ERO recommends that the board and senior management team, address the areas for improvement identified in this report.

7. 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 will review the school again as part of the regular review cycle.

Signed

Elizabeth Ellis

Area Manager

for Chief Review Officer

29 April 2007

To the Parents and Community of Pigeon Mountain School

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Pigeon Mountain School.

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 will review the school again as part of the regular review cycle.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of school performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to student achievement and useful to this school.

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

Elizabeth Ellis

Area Manager

for Chief Review Officer

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:

· improve educational achievement in schools; and

· provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on student achievement and build on each school’s self review.

Review Focus

ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on three review strands.

· School Specific Priorities – the quality of education and the impact of school policies and practices on student achievement.

· Areas of National Interest – information about how Government policies are working in schools.

· Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this school has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

Review Recommendations

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a school is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this school.

[1] Decile 1 schools draw their students from areas of greatest socio-economic disadvantage,
Decile 10 from areas of least socio-economic disadvantage.