Ellesmere College

To the Parents and Community of Ellesmere College

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Ellesmere College.

Ellesmere College provides education for students in Years 7 to 13.  It is located in the rural town of Leeston, south of Christchurch and includes students from a wide geographical area.  The school has well maintained grounds and buildings.  The board has recently completed refurbishment of the technology area and begun improvements to the existing hall to provide drama and dance facilities.

Since the last review, the board and principal have reviewed and restructured the senior management team to provide greater distribution of the leadership roles and responsibilities.  They have supported ongoing professional development to raise student achievement and foster positive relationships within the school community.  Senior managers and teachers have participated in a range of self-review activities that are helping them set targets and plan strategically.  They are now reviewing the current curriculum and assessment procedures to meet the requirements of the revised New Zealand Curriculum.

The focus of this review was on the quality of the learning and teaching.  Along with other schools in term two, ERO also evaluated professional learning and development (PLD), provision for international students, how the school is planning for the future and the progress made in the achievement of Māori students.  Aspects of compliance including student safety were also evaluated.

The principal and senior managers analyse student achievement information and other data about students’ progress and wellbeing in order to improve outcomes for students.  They are using professional development to provide teachers with strategies to meet a growing diversity of students’ needs.  Teachers stated that they appreciate the opportunities to improve their practice and felt supported by the board, principal and senior managers.

The school’s own analysis shows that Māori students are achieving above the levels of their peers nationally but below other non-Māori students within the school. 

Teachers have identified that in some learning areas, girls are outperforming boys.  Students generally achieve at or above their peers nationally in numeracy and literacy.  They are reflecting on, and introducing measures, to address these concerns.  Teachers record and analyse student achievement in literacy and mathematics in Years 7 to 10 using national assessments.  They analyse the information across year levels to compare their students with others nationally and identify trends and progress over time.  The information is available so that all teachers can use the data to inform their teaching.  Teachers could now add further achievement information to provide more detail about the achievement and progress of individuals as they progress through Years 7 to 10 in all learning areas.

Students learn in a safe environment.  They receive good pastoral care and careers guidance.  The board and teachers encourage students to take pride in their appearance and set high expectations for behaviour and learning.  Students are also encouraged to take on leadership and peer support roles within the school.  Their successes are celebrated in assemblies and in newsletters to parents and the community.

Students are respectful of their teachers.  ERO observed lessons in which students were on task and engaged in their learning.  In the best lessons, students participated in practical activities that enhanced their engagement and enjoyment of learning.  They knew about the purpose of the lesson and actively participated in decisions that affected their learning.  They were able to talk about their own progress and knew what they needed to do to succeed.  Students demonstrated that they were independent and self-motivated learners.  They were able to participate in tasks that were appropriate to their level of achievement.

The principal provides a strong vision for the school.  He encourages a reflective culture in which improvement is based on analysed student achievement information and other evidence from self review and research.  Senior and middle managers are encouraging teachers to adopt the learning from their professional development to improve their classroom practice.  Some learning areas are using student achievement information to show the effectiveness of professional development. The next step for the school is to ensure that these practices are being consistently embedded, that staff have opportunities to view each other’s teaching and share good practices, and the progress and wellbeing of individual students are being measured and monitored.

The board provides good quality governance of the school.  Trustees work with the principal and teachers to review and improve the way the school provides for students and improves outcomes.  They have established thorough systems of policy and curriculum review, health and safety procedures, and monitoring student achievement and wellbeing.  The principal sets and analyses useful student achievement targets and reports on these to the board.  They are now seeking ways to further foster links and relationships with parents/whanau and the wider community.

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. 

ERO is likely to 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.

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the school or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.

Isabell Sinclair Irwin        
Area Manager

for Chief Review Officer