ERO Report 2011

PRIVATE SCHOOL REVIEW REPORT:
WENTWORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

1. BACKGROUND

The Chief Review Officer has a statutory duty to report on the performance of private schools throughout New Zealand.

Section 351 of the Education Act 1989, requires the Education Review Office (ERO) to review fully registered private schools, and to report to the Ministry of Education on weather each school continues to meet the criteria full registration.

This review report was prepared in accordance with standard procedures approved by the Chief Review Officer.

2. Criteria for Registration

Wentworth Primary School was reviewed by ERO in 2008 and was registered as a private school in the same year. Since then, the roll has more than doubled and there have been strategic changes in school leadership and staffing. Students from the primary school make smooth transitions to the Year 7- 13 college campus, which is located next door. The Wentworth College Education Trust Board and founders manage both schools and provide a good quality private school education option for families in the Whangaparaoa, North Shore and wider Rodney area.

The executive principal has overall leadership responsibility for both the primary school and the college. His vision and that of the founders is reflected in the broad curriculum and the variety of academic, sporting and cultural opportunities provided for students. The school values of trust, respect, consideration and compassion are reflected in the positive relationships evident between staff and students. Supportive relationships between the College and the Primary school are evident in the coaching and peer teaching activities that are provided for younger students. The structured, nurturing environment of the school supports and celebrates learning and is accepting of difference.

Students are provided with a suitable standard of tuition. They are settled and focused on learning and are confident, sociable and happy at school. Students benefit from the small class sizes, multi-level class groupings and one-on-one teaching provided. Teachers know their students well. Good use of assessment information enables teachers to identify specific next steps to accelerate, extend or support each student’s learning. Individual learning profiles provide important reference points against which to monitor students’ progress and achievement over time.

School annual planning goals indicate that teachers are setting realistic targets for student achievement based on reliable and increasingly consistent assessment information. Students are becoming more self-managing and independent learners through facilitated reflection sessions and their involvement in self-assessment activities.

The New Zealand Curriculum is used as a foundation document and is supplemented by school-based curriculum programmes and aspects of the Cambridge curriculum. Students receive good quality education programmes, with an emphasis on high levels of academic achievement in literacy and numeracy. Teachers’ collaborative approach to planning gives priority to literacy and mathematics. Relevant science and technology programmes, sometimes using college facilities and subject specialists, are provided in the school curriculum. Aspects of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage and te reo Maori are integrated into the teaching and learning programme. Gifted and talented students receive enrichment programmes in specialist subjects in the College environment. Drama, music and education outside the classroom are popular features of the school’s curriculum.