What the education review office (ERO) Says
Board of Trustees – ERO Report
Key highlights from the Kia Aroha College Term 1 2019 ERO Report include:
The principle of aroha, as the basis of strong relationships, underpins the school’s designated character. The school vision Kia Aro Ha is expressed as Kia – to make happen, Aro – the focus, and Ha - the life force. Developing ‘Warrior Scholars’ – “young people with high level learning skills, secure and empowered in their cultural identity and who are informed, critical agents for sovereignty, social justice and social change” is one of the school’s central goals.
Since the 2015 ERO review, a new principal has been appointed. All the senior leaders and many staff are long-serving. School-wide professional learning and development (PLD) is mostly internally provided and board funded. The PLD has largely focused on the research and theoretical knowledge that underpins the school’s designated character.
The school achieves equitable and excellent outcomes for its diverse students in relation to language, culture and identity. There is a continuing focus on achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all students in relation to academic outcomes.
Students’ success is evident in their achievement in relation to the milestones set in the school’s Māori, Samoan and Tongan graduate profiles. In 2017, school leaders also collated data about the extent to which students were secure in their cultural identity and their relationships with others. This information was analysed together with other longitudinal, individual and cohort data, including achievement data. It shows a clear correlation between gains in students’ sense of cultural identity, self-efficacy and other valued outcomes, and improved academic achievement.
The school’s 2017 leavers’ data show that the large majority of students left school with at least a NCEA Level 2 qualification. In addition, the proportion of school leavers who left with NCEA Level 3 was significantly higher than the national average.
Other achievement data from 2014 to 2017 show that 58 percent of Year 9 students who were below or well below the expected curriculum level on entry to the school, went on to gain NCEA Level 2 in 2017.
In 2017 high academic achievement for Māori students was evident at NCEA Level 2 and UE compared to all Māori students nationally and Māori students in other similar schools. Leaders attribute this success to a culture of positive and high expectations and increasingly close monitoring of students’ support and progress.
Leadership, internal evaluation, a strong strategic focus and curriculum values and model, together with close monitoring and pastoral care systems, are key school conditions enabling students to succeed.
An important strength of the school is its long standing focus on creating a culturally sustaining learning community that promotes holistic student wellbeing and success. The curriculum learning model reflects this focus well.
The school’s pastoral care systems are well coordinated and responsive to students’ learning and wellbeing needs. The board funds comprehensive ‘Breakfree’ support for students’ health and wellbeing through the Whānau Centre’s social work, counselling, medical, attendance and other services.
Conclusion
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Kia Aroha College’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.