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Education Review Office Report
To the Parents and Community of Maunu School - 27 June 2008
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Maunu Primary School.
Maunu School is situated on the outskirts of Whangarei and caters for students from Year 1-6. The attractive grounds and buildings are well maintained reflecting the board’s ongoing commitment to property development. The principal has developed positive relationships with families who participate enthusiastically in school activities. The 2005 ERO report identified that some aspects of school leadership and governance required strengthening, particularly the establishment of self-review processes that enabled the board to evaluate improvements to teaching and learning.
The principal initiated a collaborative charter development process in 2007 that resulted in statements in the charter about the contributions that staff, students and parents would make to implement the strategic direction of the school. Allied to this development the principal has extended the management team so that aspects of school operation are shared and school leadership is strengthened. He has also discussed with trustees the implications of student achievement data.
Students are proud of their school and of their learning experiences, and eager and excited to share their learning. They are articulate and confident and come to the school with a range of experiences that provide strong foundations for future learning. They enjoy positive relationships with adults and with peers, are caring and supportive of one another and are respectful and affirming of differences.
Student achievement data is collected for literacy and numeracy on a school-wide basis. Most students are achieving at the appropriate level for their age in reading and numeracy. However, the profile of Mäori student achievement is not comparable with non-Mäori student achievement. Writing has also been identified as an area of school-wide concern. This report makes suggestions for improving Mäori student achievement and raising student achievement in writing.
Teachers are supportive and positive about the shared direction for the school and of the principal’s vision to develop the school as a professional learning community. His decision to delegate school wide responsibilities has provided opportunities for teachers to develop leadership skills that recognise their experience, knowledge and skills. A culture of learning exists amongst teaching staff who welcome professional learning and development as a way to improve teaching practice and learning outcomes for students. Teachers work well together, planning collegially and sharing professional dialogue about teaching practice. Increasingly teachers are adopting more student-centred approaches that aim to improve students’ thinking skills and support them to manage their own learning.
The school is appreciative of its community and values the support that families give to school events and sporting activities. An active Parent Teacher Association supports the board. The board of trustees has worked collaboratively with the principal to develop a strategic direction for the school. Trustees have participated in training with external educational consultants to extend their knowledge and understanding of the governance role. The board now needs to further develop systems for regular review of the strategic plan and its implementation.
This report evaluates the quality of teaching and learning with a focus on inquiry based learning and information skills. The report also evaluates professional learning and development, progress in providing for the achievement of Mäori students, and aspects of health and safety. The principal and board have made positive progress in developing the school charter so that it provides a shared basis for school development.
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.
You can download the Full ERO Report in pdf format 
(81KB)
You may also like to visit the ERO website.
Elizabeth Ellis
Area Manager
for Chief Review Officer
