Education Review Office (ERO) Report

The following are some of the findings from the  latest ERO report from April 2010.

Holy Family School is an integrated Catholic School in Wanaka. It provides a good quality education for students from Years 1 to 8. The family atmosphere of the school is clearly demonstrated by the caring, respectful relationships between adults and students. The school communicates well with its parents and parish and welcomes the support provided by them.

Students in all classes receive high quality teaching. Class sizes are small and teachers plan and teach to the learning needs, abilities and interests of individuals. The approach to learning used within the school allows students to have a say in the topics to be studied, the various activities they will be involved in and how they will present their work. Students take part in a wide range of learning experiences available through the local environment, including outdoor pursuits and snow sports.

Teachers are focusing on teaching students to become more independent in their learning and they challenge students' thinking through high quality questioning. Teachers reflect on their teaching and use each other's strengths and knowledge for the benefit of the students in their classes.

Most students achieve well in reading, writing and numeracy. Where achievement information has shown that students have not reached expected levels of achievement, teachers place particular attention to addressing this and accessing specialist attention. The board actively supports them in this. Teachers know their students well and detailed records of assessment results and individuals' learning behaviours are kept to monitor progress, achievement and learning needs. Students spoken to by ERO said that their learning is at the right levels for them. Students who are at risk of not succeeding in their learning are identified.

The systems being implemented to provide students and staff with a healthy and safe environment are effective. Students told ERO that this is a safe school.

The remainder of this report can be viewed on ERO’s website: www.ero.govt.nz