Education Review Report

To the Parents and Community of Ohakune Primary School

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Ohakune Primary School.

Positive working relationships are promoted through mutual respect between students, teachers and the board of trustees at Ohakune School. A friendly, collaborative atmosphere pervades the school. Interactions between students are affirming. Student-centred classroom environments are conducive to learning. Students are
highly engaged in learning.

This review investigates and reports on the impact of the learning environment on raising students’ achievement. Progress in improving the achievement of Māori students, catering for gifted and talented students, aspects of health and safety and the school’s preparedness for a pandemic are also evaluated.

Many students make considerable progress in learning and behaviour through clearly understanding what is expected of them in and out of the classroom. High learning expectations and increased teacher knowledge of the curriculum promotes student success. Teaching strategies, programmes and the impact they have on students are
reviewed regularly. Flexibility in grouping students and analysis of achievement data provides teachers with direction for planning and implementing appropriate experiences to improve and meet specific learning needs. Teachers and students regularly monitor academic and social development to promote continual achievement and progress.

Staff, parents and students share a positive focus on ‘SMILE’, self-motivated, independent learners and ‘WIT’, working in teams. Respectful relationships and thinking about actions and consequences successfully promote understanding of how to treat each other and how each individual is important and nurtured. As a consequence the fostering of a culture of learning is evident.

Students positively respond to the strongly learning-centred environments. Those spoken to appreciate the opportunities to ‘know what to learn and know how to learn’. Students share their work with families and whānau in Taonga Books. These assessment collections also guide teacher planning. Three times each year opportunities for whānau, teachers and students to meet and discuss progress are enthusiastically attended. Whānau and families contribute to success through attending regular schoolwide events.

 

Staff initiate and implement a significant number of highly effective procedures and strategies that contribute to positive outcomes on student behaviour. They maintain a positive attitude to managing student behaviour at school. The strong emphasis trustees and teachers place on successfully developing responsibility in students is a feature of the school.

Trustees demonstrate a commitment to improved student achievement and progress. Achievement information, shared by the principal, contributes to fostering increased progress for students. Trustees support well-considered allocation of resources to benefit students. Together with teaching staff, trustees are focused on the ongoing success of students.

 

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. Therefore 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.

Graham Randell
Area Manager
for Chief Review Officer