16 December 2010

To the Parents and Community of Coatesville School

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Coatesville School.

Coatesville School, situated in an attractive rural setting on Auckland’s North Shore, continues to provide students with a very good foundation for their learning. The school is long established and successfully maintains its strong rural traditions. Students benefit from the school’s attractive, well resourced physical environment, and its many stimulating classroom displays. Relationships are affirming, encouraging and constructive. Students are well supported to participate in the wide range of learning activities provided.

The school features high levels of student engagement. Students are enthusiastic learners who are inquiring, articulate and proud of their work. Their progress and achievement is facilitated by a well balanced school curriculum. Reading, writing and mathematics are appropriately prioritised, and students have rich opportunities to extend their physical and creative skills. The curriculum encourages parental participation and involvement. It reflects local interests and values and enables students to develop their talents.

Ongoing improvements made to the school’s assessment processes reflect national directions. Achievement data currently available show the majority of students achieve at or above national levels. Senior managers use such data well to make decisions about school resourcing. Teachers are increasingly using assessment information to guide their teaching, with some referring directly to assessment outcomes in their personal reflections and programme evaluations. As such practices become more embedded, teachers will be better placed to promote more student-centred, student-directed programmes.

Coatesville School staffing is stable. The school’s long-serving principal and senior managers work collegially with teachers to maintain the positive features of the school. The newly elected board of trustees is building on the strengths of the previous board and is introducing more robust processes for self review and long-term planning. The board is well placed to plan and monitor the ongoing development of the school.

Future Action

ERO is likely to carry out the next review within three years.

Link to: ERO Website