Community Page

28 June 2010

To the Parents and Community of Sylvia Park School

These are the findings of the Education Review Office's latest report on Sylvia Park School.

Sylvia Park School in Mt Wellington caters for students from Years1 to 8 from a culturally diverse community. The school includes a Māori bilingual unit, Te Puna Waiora, and hosts two satellite classes from Somerville Special School for students with intellectual impairments. The school is characterised by its clear focus on promoting student learning and raising student achievement, dynamic and innovative leadership, positive learning partnerships, and decision-making based on data. Students enjoy a culture where their learning is paramount. As a result they make accelerated progressand are increasingly achieving at or above national levels of expectation for their age in reading and writing. Students know their level of achievement, set targets and take steps to achieve these goals.

The ERO 2007 review noted that students benefited from a secure learning environment, and expectations that they would be active learners and achievers. The report commented that conversations that students had with their whānau about their achievements was an encouraging feature of a growing home-school partnership. The new principal's leadership had been motivational and instrumental in bringing about the changes towards student-centred learning and teaching, evidence-based planning and evaluation, and improved classroom practice. This review finds that the improvements made have been sustained, and that high quality practices and systems have been further developed and extended.

Senior managers and teachers have worked effectively together to design a curriculum that promotes student progress and achievement. Appropriate priority is given to the core curriculum areas of reading, writing and numeracy. Teachers use effective teaching practices to build students' capabilities and capacity to access the curriculum at an appropriate level. Key competencies are assessed, reviewed and embedded in school culture and are clearly defined in the inquiry part of the curriculum. Students use inquiry in meaningful and relevant contexts and their cultural capital is acknowledged, particularly for Māori.

A determined and well structured approach to strengthen whānau involvement in children's learning is having a positive impact on student learning and whānau, community and school relationship. The Mutukaroa-School and Community Learning Partnership is helping to demystify education through sharing assessment data in a timely fashion, which enables whānau to help their children continue learning at home.

The school is well led by a dynamic, charismatic and innovative professional leader. Her involvement with professional groups and experts in the field of education is contributing to positive outcomes for students and for teachers. Effective leadership exists at governance, management, teaching and learning levels. Planned strategies are in place to ensure that this effective leadership is sustained.

Self review is well established. The board of trustee's strategic planning continues to chart a well defined course for the school. There is a thoughtful and well considered approach to setting the school's strategic direction, that is well understood by trustees and staff and provides a cohesive framework for school development. The board of trustees, staff, student and families are justifiably proud of their school and what has been achieved to build a culture that promotes students' learning as the first priority.

Future Action

The board of trustees has demonstrated that it is governing the school in the interests of the students and the Crown. The board, together with the principal and school leaders, continues to be highly effective in using self review procedures to further promote student learning: engagement, progress and achievement. ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four to five 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 assessment and self‑review information; and
• teaching strategies and programmes implemented to give effect to the school's curriculum.

ERO also gathers information during the review to contribute to its national reports. 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.

Richard Thornton

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region

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 integrates the following:

• school curriculum;
• national evaluation topics -contribute to the development of education policies and their effective implementation; and
• Board Assurance Statement, including student and staff health and safety.
• ERO's review is responsive to the school's context. When ERO reviews a school, it takes into account the characteristics of the community from which it draws its students, its aspirations for its young people, and other relevant local factors.

ERO also builds on the school's own self-review information. 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 to improve student learning.

• This helps ERO to answer the major evaluation question for reviews:

How effectively does this school's curriculum promote student learning - engagement, progress and achievement?

Areas for Development and Review

ERO reports include areas for development and review to support on-going improvement by identifying priorities. Often the school will have identified these matters through its own self review and already plans further development in those areas.

[1] School deciles range from one to ten. Decile one schools draw their students from low socio‑economic communities and at the other end of the range, decile 10 schools draw their students from high socio-economic communities. Deciles are used to provide funding to state and state integrated schools. The lower the school's decile the more funding it receives. A school's decile is in no way linked to the quality of education it provides.

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