STRATEGIC STATEMENTS 2012 - 2014 The Board completed consultations with families in November-December 2011. The parents’ views related in the 2011 reviews formed the basis to this strategic statement. This strategic statement represents an overview of the Board’s position in relation to the school development and the major focuses for the period 2011 to 2013. The main emphasis of the statement is for the current 2012 year. The Board is aware that parents are highly supportive of the school and have high expectations for their children’s learning. They want their children to be happy and achieving well. The Board’s view is that all children should be able to read and write to levels appropriate to their age. The members also recognise that children are unique, with different skills and abilities and should be treated accordingly, and have the opportunities, challenges and space where they can belong with their fellow classmates and within their school. The Board expects its teaching staff to ensure its assessment programmes provide reliable information not only on individual children’s performance and achievement but also on progress across the school. The Board is responsive to the changing roll profiles in the school and the need to address the impact on school of this change. Specifically it recognizes the impact of an increasing Maori student roll which has grown over a number of years to its current level of 50 to 51%. The Board acknowledges that its school curriculum and school resourcing need to reflect in practical terms this roll profile change, i.e. how things now get done in the school. Related to this the Board notes firstly the general roll decrease to its present level and the associated drop in income in Ministry funding to support programmes; and secondly, an awareness that given national indicative trends point to a higher failure rate for Maori (and Pasifika) students, that the school Maori students learning needs to be monitored and teaching and learning opportunities be provided to counter this trend within this school. The work set by teachers should suit their children’s needs and adequate support should be available to ensure the children have every chance to learn. It is the Board’s expectation that the programmes should reflect positive teacher practice in meeting the diverse learning needs of the children in the school. The Board will continue to address the various learning needs presented by current cohorts of students. It will continue to support programmes which meet these needs and work with agencies including Ministry of Education to manage the changes it perceives it needs to address, i.e. its bilingual classes development and the application of the key ideas of Ka Hikitia to managing success for its students. The Board will maintain a strong consultation programme with families and whanau over the current year as part of its strategic approach. The Board is keen to encourage further development (continuing on from its initiatives in 2010/11) with programmes in Te Reo Maori and in Kapa Haka. The Board is conscious of the growth in the numbers of Maori children attending Morrinsville Primary and the need to provide programmes to enhance all children’s knowledge and skill in Te Reo and Kapa Haka. This is in keeping with its long term strategic position of ensuring Maori students achievements are in line with all other students in the school. A key change in the development of Te Reo is the identification of levels of attainment across the school in MLL (Maori Language Learning) levels. This should be further developed during 2012. The Board recognises in the feedback that it has received from parents the importance families place on the PE, sport and outdoor education programmes which are provided for the children. The Board is committed to supporting the staff in providing these extra curriculum programmes which develop character and confidence in the children. The children should be encouraged to appreciate their environment and the world in which they live and they should grow up being respectful of others and develop a caring attitude. The Board has addressed recommendations made by the ERO Report 2009 in respect of strengthening relationships across its parent communities. The board is committed to developing strategies and create opportunities for families to engage with the school to ensure their children achieve success in learning. The Board adopts as its reference document Ka Hikitia : Managing for Success and Taataiako (as reference for teachers dealing with Maori learners). The Board in its governance role will support those initiatives which assist its staff in implementing programmes which will achieve these goals. The Boards Annual Budget and Development Programmes are seen as part of its response in achieving its Governance responsibility.
Brett Johnstone
Chairman
Principal and Staff Commentary : 2012
The School Curriculum for this year will aim to ensure the core curriculum areas of Mathematics, Reading and Writing are well resourced and teachers’ focus is directed towards monitoring children’s progress and developing teaching strategies, programmes and learning activities to meet individual, group and classneeds.
The teachers will continue to maintain a broad outlook on the curriculum being presented to include the other curriculum areas outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum.
Other areas of emphasis are:
1. Te Reo classes and kapa haka across the school with the intention of increasing the MML levels in some classes.
2. PE and fitness programmes daily. School sport, teams coaching and outdoor education (camps and trips) will also feature as part of this programme. The children will participate in sports tournaments over the year.
3. Health and wellbeing of the children and the school community will include aspects of teaching and engagement with others.
4. Science and Social Studies programmes will be integrated contextually relevant experiences, e.g. earth science and school camps etc. Learning outside the classroom will provide some contacts.
5. Our music programme will include class singing, choir and kapa haka including class/children learning new waiata each term. The school will be involved in Choir Public Performances (e.g. Kids for Kids), and a schoolwide musical entertainment event.
6. Our Art programme will focus on art expressed through a number of media. Children will also work on art projects, e.g. mural etc. All classrooms will present artwork for public display over the year.
Extension and Enhancement
1. We intend providing extension programmes in Maths and English, Te Reo and Kapa Haka and introduce as feasible other languages.
2. We will be providing additional coaching and support for children in sport, e.g. engaging professional coaches to enhance the children development, e.g. swim coach, netball, rugby, cricket etc.
3. We will provide programmes in music and art for groups/individuals who wish to participate in choir, instrumental tuition, art club etc.
Target Learning Support
1. We will address individual and small group needs within regular classrooms. We will provide extension, PT teacher and teacher aide support to class groups identified through teacher and senior needs analysis.
2. We will complete two formal assessment records, one in March and the other in November as part of our evaluation programme on children’s progress. Class teachers will complete other assessments with their classes to identify and monitor their children’s progress.
3. We will introduce Special Needs At Risk Learner Register to monitor the school’s responses to teacher identified “at-risk-in-learning” children.
Key Learning Target Tasks
1. Literacy
a Daily programme timetabled
b Development of sub-skills to meet literacy learner needs
c Development of comprehension in respect of vocabulary, word meanings, literacy contexts, sentence comprehension and paragraph comprehension.
d Development of text writing skills with a focus on use of appropriate nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs strategies for writing based on what ‘good writers do’.
e Development of strong functional oral language.
f Setting comprehensive targets in Reading and writing for each year level with reference to the NZ Strands using formal assessment terms and well established informal and non standarised assessment scheduling.
2. Mathematics
a A strong emphasis on recall of basic number facts.
b Development numeracy knowledge and strategies with target groups and well based
teaching.
c Ensuring the other maths strands are covered (e.g. algebra, measurement etc.) in regular
timetabled periods over the year.
d Setting comprehensive targets in Mathematics for each year level with reference to the
NZ Strands using formal assessment tools and well established informal and non
standarised assessment scheduling.
School Reporting to Parents
1. We will formally report to parents in February/March, May/June and November/December. The May/June and November/December will include a formal written report.
2. Teachers will maintain an informal ongoing information sharing programme over the school year.
Assessment Tools
The tools used by teachers includes PAT Reading Comprehension, PAT Listening, PAT Vocabulary and PAT Mathematics. Teachers also use STAR and AsTTle. PM benchmarks (revised edition), Prove (senior classes), Reading Wedge Graphing and Numeracy Gloss, JAM, Numba and iKAN,
Teacher Professional Development and Support : Curriculum Targets
1. Continue with the 2011 Numeracy Implementation Plan.
2. Access PD support from MoE for Maths Numeracy, i.e. ALiM Project.
3. Other professional development is outlined as part of the Board’s Development Plan.
4. All classes involved in school based Te Reo, attending classes with children.
Conclusion
Staff share the expectations of the Board and school families who want their children to achieve at school. Teaching staff hold to the expectation that all children can learn to read and write and complete mathematics tasks to the levels indicated in the NZ National Curriculum Documents and Standards.
The staff are committed to making the school experience work in the best interests of the children and to ensuring that their children’s learning and development needs are paramount in their professional activity.
Our staff culture is one of mutual support and collegial endeavours. The commitment is to create a school where everyone is valued and feels comfortable to be part of. Our values are enshrined in the qualities of Manaakitanga and Whanaungatanga.
This is manifested in action as we work as a team in meaningful, genuine, sincere and caring ways.
Shay Noonan
Principal