Morrinsville School is a full primary school catering for students in Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 200 includes 108 students who identify as Māori. Many of these whakapapa to Ngāti Hauā, the local iwi.
The school aspires to be an inclusive community where students and their whānau can say it is ‘Our Place, Tō Tātou Kāinga’. The school values are nurture, whāngai; grow, whakatipu; inspire, whakamanawa.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
A long-serving principal and well-established senior team continue to lead the school. The chair of the board of trustees is also long serving. The board comprises experienced and new trustees. There has been a major focus in professional development for teachers on accelerating the acquisition of early literacy skills in 2017-18.
The school is working towards achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all of its students. Since 2015 the majority of students have achieved at or above national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Boys underachieved in relation to girls in reading and writing in 2016 and 2017. There has been significant underachievement for Māori students in relation to their Pākehā peers in reading, writing and mathematics over a number of years.
The progress of students who have individual education plans, (IEPs) is regularly tracked and monitored. IEPs sighted by ERO indicate that students are making progress over time.
The school is responding well to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration in reading and mathematics. Just under half of the students at risk of underachieving in 2017 made accelerated progress. The proportion of Māori students making accelerated progress is similar to that of others. Effectively accelerating the achievement of at-risk students in writing remains a challenge for the school.
Leadership collaboratively develops and pursues the school’s vision, goals and targets. Leaders have developed a strategic, evidence-based approach to improving student achievement in literacy. The focus on tracking and monitoring student progress and acceleration has led to early identification and analysis of trends and patterns for individuals and groups. Leadership builds trust with students, parents, whānau and the community.
Effective, culturally responsive practices support student learning. Leaders have developed a systematic way of teaching te reo Māori throughout the school. This is well supported and resourced by trustees. Relationships between teachers and students are warm and supportive. School values and virtues are well promoted. Most teachers and support staff are involved in ongoing professional development in te reo and tikanga Māori. Tikanga Māori is highly visible in classrooms and the school environment. Students are confident in leading tikanga practices such as karakia, waiata and haka. Effective practices support students’ pastoral needs and there is individualised, restorative approaches to students with behavioural challenges.
Teachers use a variety of teaching strategies to engage students. The recent, effective acceleration of at-risk students in reading includes:
Systematic and challenging professional learning opportunities effectively build teacher capability. Clear plans for professional development incorporate multiple learning opportunities. A collaborative approach has led to an increase in the quality of teacher professional discussions about students and their learning. Leaders are fully involved in professional development undertaken by teachers.
Leaders now need to:
Teachers need to:
Before the review, the board and principal of the school completed the ERO board assurance statement and self-audit checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to the following:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
To improve current practice, the board of trustees should:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa – Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
29 October 2018
| Location | Morrinsville |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 1834 |
| School type | Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
| School roll | 200 |
| Gender composition | Girls 52% Boys 48% |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 55% Asian 7% Pākehā 33% Other 5% |
| Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) | Yes |
| Provision of Māori medium education | Yes |
| Review team on site | August 2018 |
| Date of this report | 29 October 2018 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review January 2015 Education Review November 2012 Education Review August 2009 |
