Principals’ endorsement:

Board of Trustees’ endorsement:

Submission date to Ministry of Education:

Mission Statement

  At Forrest Hill School learners show respect make connections and accept challenge.

Vision

 Nurturing growth for a lifetime of learning

Values

We respect ourselves, others and our environment.

We connect with our past, present and future.

We connect to our whanau, school and our world.

We challenge ourselves to be the best we can be.

Principles

Our Students see Forrest Hill School as a place where: 

Students are respectful and want to learn and have fun.

Students are encouraged and given leadership opportunities.

Resources are available to help students learn.

Teachers show they value children’s opinions and recognise achievement.

Staff are lifelong learners and provide the best role models for students.

Our students’ whanau see Forrest Hill School as a place where:

The curriculum is delivered to a consistently high level.

A  respectful approach is evident in a nurturing environment.

A safe and challenging environment encourages student to learn how to learn with a high degree of integrity and self confidence.

Students’ learning is extended and students who need assistance are identified and receive appropriate learning.

Students are helped and encouraged to develop fully as citizens of the world

Our staff members see Forrest Hill School as a place where: 

Students demonstrate a passion for learning.

Students are happy to share their successes with the school community.

Students acquire the skills and attitude for lifelong learning and are encouraged to take risks.

Feedback is encouraged and stimulates growth.

Staff enjoy working and continue to grow as professionals.  

Māori Dimensions and Cultural Diversity

All persons are treated with respect as New Zealanders, no matter their race, religious or cultural background. Forrest Hill School encompasses the notion of inclusiveness.

The school is in an area with a decile rating of 8. The ethnicity of the students is mainly New Zealand born European/Pakeha 32.6%, Chinese 24.3%, Korean 12.3%, Other Asian 13.2% (Asian 60%).  The school has 4.3% NZ Maori and 3.2% Pasifika and a range of other minorities.

The unique position of Maori Culture

The special place of maori in the community is recognised and valued through Kapa Haka and maori language.

The school recognises and values the unique position of Maori in New Zealand and the importance of the treaty partnership.

The school acknowledges and respects the values, traditions and histories of all New Zealanders but explicitly recognises the culture, language and history of Maori.

Teachers are developed in Maori competencies -Taitakio

Students and teachers are given integrated instructions in Maori through the Tuatahi Te Reo programme.

Special Character

The community is actively involved in the school and has high expectations of the school’s performance. We have a high number of migrant families that have moved into our area. One third of our school population have English as a second language.

Forrest Hill School is characterised by its commitment to promote:

The Enviroschools Guiding Principles

Transition to school programme

Innovative learning environments

Catering for future learning by encouraging the use of digital learning tools

Supporting the learning of English for our second language speakers

Providing opportunities for students to learn music

The Waterwise programme for building water safety

Provide opportunities for education outside the classroom.

Character Education

A strong relationship with North Harbour sport.

Provide Leadership roles for students through a Student Government. House captains and  roles of responsibility.

The Garden to Table Programme.

The Legislated National Administration Guidelines (NAG)

Legislated National Administration Guidelines (stated) underpin the Forrest Hill School Board of Trustees Strategic Goals

NAG 1 Teaching and Learning                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Develop and implement teaching and learning programmes with opportunities to achieve for success in all in areas of the National Curriculum.

Give priority to student achievement in literacy and numeracy.

Give  priority to regular quality physical activity that develops movement skills for all students.

Collect sufficiently comprehensive assessment data to enable the progress and achievement of students to be evaluated. Then on the basis of quality assessment information, identify and support students who are not achieving or have who have special needs, including gifted and talented students.

In consultation with the school's Māori community, develop and make known to the school's community policies, plans, and targets for improving the achievement of Māori students.

NAG 2 & 2A School Review          

Maintain an on-going programme of self-review in relation to policies, plans and programmes, including evaluation of information on student achievement for all students.

Use National Standards to report to the Board, to students and their parents on the student’s progress and achievement in plain language at least twice a year.

The Board annual report to include school strengths, identified areas for improvement and must include  the numbers and proportions of students at, above, below or well below National Standards, including by Māori, Pacifica, gender, and by year level (where this does not breach an individual’s privacy) in the format prescribed by the Secretary for Education

NAG 3 Human Resources

 Develop and implement personnel and industrial policies, within a policy and procedural frameworks (set by the Government from time to time), which promotes high levels of staff performance, uses educational resources effectively and recognises the needs of students. As well the Board (State Sector Act 1988) complies with the conditions contained in employment contracts applying to teaching and non-teaching staff.

NAG 4 Finance and Property

Allocate funds to reflect the school's priorities as stated in the charter; monitor and control school expenditure. Ensure that annual accounts are prepared and audited as required by the Public Finance Act 1989 and the Education Act 1989; and comply with the negotiated conditions of any current asset management agreement. Implement a maintenance programme to ensure that the school's buildings and facilities provide a safe, healthy learning environment for students.

NAG 5 Health and Safety

Provide a safe physical and emotional environment for students; promote student well-being as a priority to include healthy food and nutrition guidance for all students; and comply in full with any legislation currently in force or that may be developed to ensure the safety of students and employees

NAGS 6/7/8 Compliance

Comply with all general legislation including an annual update of the school charter and an analysis of any variance between the school's performance and the relevant aims, objectives, directions, priorities, or targets set out in the school’s Charter. (6 legislation/7 Charter requirements/8 \National Standards reporting.

Strategic Goals

Core Strategies for Achieving Goals

2017 - 2020

Teaching and Learning

• To ensure all teaching staff continue to deliver the New Zealand Curriculum, catering to all students and their individual needs and capabilities

• All of our second language students are able to access the New Zealand Curriculum successfully.

Embed assessment and leadership professional development.

Embed the development of the practices known to make a difference to student learning outcomes.  

Develop the assessment literacy of our learning leaders.

Staff to actively participate in Practice Analysis Conversations (PAC) and classroom observations (OBS).

Develop a school wide understanding of our ELLS programme and policies.

Complete ongoing reflections of how we support our ELLS each term to meet their needs and the needs of new students to the school.

Review the transition to an English school for our newest migrants to ensure that they have the best start to their schooling at Forrest Hill School.

Support our ELLS learners in mainstream classrooms.

Bridge the gap between the Stage 2 ELPS and their cohort.

Student Engagement

• Students are engaging in learning that is relevant, engaging, authentic and life long.

Develop a FHS curriculum that reflects our vision and values.

The design of the FHS curriculum will be organised around the key competencies with the NZC values and learning areas deliberately weaving through the document.

Review our current broader curriculum practices and systems

Make  available the resources and support to have a ICT environment that supports students and teachers using technology to explore, create and communicate authentic learning.

A clear digital learning strategy throughout the school based on GAFE and 2 lead teachers supporting the growth of e-learning pedagogy.

The Garden to Table programme

Develop classrooms that have learning spaces that are vibrant, flexible and encourage and support many different types of learning.

In the junior school promote learning through play to support the transition to school of our foundation students and the growth of our Year 1 and 2 students.

School Organisation and Structures

• Have effective structures in place that enable the growth of teachers and students.

Provide specialist teachers to support the growth of digital learning and the development of The Arts school wide.

Budget and fund resources to release Learning Leaders to grow teachers and work with students in classrooms.

Budget and fund learning assistants to support learning needs of students in specialised programmes.

Personnel

• Ensure teachers and staff nurture growth for a lifetime of learning for our students.

The appraisal process will reflect the New Zealand Teachers Council PTC’s and teacher professional standards for attestation.  

Appraisal procedure and policy is in place.

The appraisal process will be active throughout the year for teaching staff in order to support student progress and achievement.

Teachers will engage in cycles of inquiry throughout the year to ensure best teaching practice.  

Support staff will be involved in the appraisal process according to the different positions held. 

Property

• Maintain and develop the school environment to support growth and student needs.

To provide a safe physical environment for the school community.

To follow the 10 year Property Management Plan and repair and upgrade roofing as required.

Employ a property manager to oversee tendering, construction and completion of ongoing projects. 

As we grow provide effective learning spaces to meet the needs of our learners.

Budget and resource for effective learning spaces for staff and outside agencies.

Provide for day to day maintenance of buildings and property.

Finance

• To effectively manage the school budget to meet the needs of student outcomes and strategic plan.

Employ an Accounts Manager to oversee payments and account management including financial reports and audits.

Budget to reflect the learning needs of Maori, Pacifica, ESOL and special needs in addition to all other students.

Operate effective internal procedures that monitor finance and expenditure.

Allocate funds to achieve the aspirations of the Strategic Plan.

Improvement Plan - Domain: Teaching and Learning

Strategic Goal 1

To ensure all teaching staff continue to deliver the New Zealand Curriculum, catering to all students and their individual needs and capabilities

Annual Goal

Sustain the development of the practices known to make a difference to student learning outcomes.

Annual Target 

• To accelerate students who are working below standard in literacy to meet the National Standards, with a focus on boys.

Baseline data 

Literacy: Whole School

Out of 255 boys 24% school wide are achieving below expectation in reading.

Out of 255 boys 36% school wide are achieving below in writing.

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Key Improvement Strategies

• Continue to inquire into the achievement of males in writing and reading.
• Our English Language Learners are largely represented in this area.  
• A focus on supporting our ELL’s students in the classroom to build their literacy skills in English by upskilling Learning Assistants, ESOL Teachers and Teachers.
• Support from the Ministry of Education ESOL Department throughout the year with regular staff PD meetings and ongoing training.
• Focus on building oracy skills to support academic and social language.
• Provide authentic learning opportunities for students to engage in literacy.
• Focus on teacher assessment literacy and to examine and interrogate data more successfully.  Further development in the use of etap, particularly around how teachers can access the data to inform their planning, and help to identify patterns and trends with their learners.
• Further development of practices around moderating OTJs. Allocate timely staff meetings twice per year.
• Evidence packs gathered to ensure OTJ is being based on a range of evidence collected over time and induct new staff to this process.

When

What (examples)  

Who

Indicators of Progress

 Term 1

Teachers use 2016 year below data to identify target group and radar student

All teaching staff

 Priority Learners List supported by evidence

Students identified will be part of their teacher Inquiry

Ongoing throughout the year

Weekly radar discussions in team  meetings to discuss progress and deliberate acts of teaching

 All teaching staff

Teachers bring examples of work/ evidence to team meetings

Discussion around deliberate acts of teaching to accelerate progress of radar students.

Ongoing data collected

Radar document completed and tracked

Regular Inquiry updates and reflection of student progress and teacher growth

Week 8 of Term 1, 2, 3

Practice Analysis Conversations and Observations

All teaching staff

Learning Leaders providing open to learning conversations with teachers around students and teachers next steps

Senior Leaders coaching learning leaders during PACs

Classroom observations

Teachers reflecting on their practise (Inquiry)

Deliberate Acts of Teaching

Accelerated learning in data

Term 1- 4

Learning Teams to investigate and share best practice in the development of oral language skills

All teaching staff

Staff will gather ideas to support oracy in their classrooms.

Discussions during learning leaders meetings will help guide and support oracy development school wide.

Term 1 - 4

Ministry support in the development of oracy strategies to support all learners

MOE Facilitator and teaching

staff

Variety of strategies for oral development being used in classrooms.

Variety of training

Mid and End of year

Data Stories

All teaching staff

Learning Leaders

Teachers working with their learning leaders to interpret data and build assessment literacy

Detailed descriptions of targeted learners

Cohort and whole school Trends and Patterns analysed and summarised

Next steps identified

Future directions stated and used to inform for the following year

Reported to the Board of Trustees and school community

Monitoring 

Teacher Inquiry, Data Stories, Moderation meetings,  Staff meetings, Leadership meetings, Literacy data, Student voice

Resourcing 

$10, 000 to support release of teachers and learning leaders for PACs and Obs termly and in class support

Budget for outside facilitator if needed

Improvement Plan - Domain: Teaching and Learning

Strategic Goal 2

All of our English Language Learner students are able to access the New Zealand National Curriculum successfully.  

Annual Goal

By the end of the year (2017), teachers have developed the skills and  knowledge to support their ELL’s learners in class.

Annual Target 

•  After attending Forrest Hill School for four years students would have graduated from the ELLP’s to the National Standards.

Baseline data 

The ethnicity of the students is mainly New Zealand born European/Pakeha 32.6%, Chinese 24.3%, Korean 12.3%, Other Asian 13.2% (Asian 60%).  The school has 4.3% NZ Maori and 3.2% Pasifika and a range of other minorities.

For period two of the ESOL funding we had 40 students (ESOL) funded from a migrant background and 23 who were New Zealand born.  

Key Improvement Strategies

• Develop a school wide understanding of our English Language Learners (ELLs) programme and policies.
• Termly reflection of the ELLs programme and how it meets the needs of our ELLs students.
• Interview all ELLs students and their families to assist with class placement and their level of English to ensure that they have the best start to their schooling at Forrest Hill School.
• Through the MOE provide online Self Assess ELLP Professional Development training for teachers.
• Four Learning Assistants attend the ELA year course as professional development.
• All Learning Assistants complete the WELLS Term One.
• Support our ELLs in mainstream classrooms.
• Bridge the gap between the Stage 2 ELLPS and their mainstream cohort.
• Target and employ bilingual Learning Assistants.
• Provide additional learning space for the ELLs programme to cater for the withdrawal aspect of the programme.
• Teacher Only Days and staff meetings dedicated to ELLs.
• Leadership staff completing post graduate study in TEAL.

When

What (examples)  

Who

Indicators of Progress

 Term 1

Teacher Only Days and Learning Assistant training.

 MOE and  ELLs Leadership team

Clear understanding by all teachers in using the ELP’s as an assessment tool.

Define social and academic language.

Strategies used for inclusion of use of first language in the classroom.

Learning assistant training;

• Overview of different ways to support ELLs students in the classroom
• Different ideas and strategies of how to work with ELLs students
• Work samples and templates to support learners
• Looked at the importance of  getting to know a new student and know the learner
• An inclusive, safe environment for ELLs students

Ongoing throughout the year

DP and ESOL lead teacher to engage in post graduate study

DP and ESOL teacher

Transfer of knowledge to learning leaders and whole staff as and when appropriate.

Develop an understand migrant cultures in New Zealand.

Develop an understanding of teaching and learning

Ongoing throughout the years

Lead Teacher to attend cluster ESOL meetings.

Lead teacher

Collaboration and sharing of best practice across local schools.

Keeping up to date with new initiatives.

Termly

Allocation of Learning Assistant funding and specialist programmes

Principal

Lead Teacher

DP

Learning Assistant timetable reflects students needs.

Specialists programmes designed to reflect student needs.

Learning Assistant hours reviewed as per students needs.

Ongoing throughout the year

Present progress and findings to the Board of Trustees.

 ELLs Team

Report progress to the BOT in alignment with the work plan.

Mid and End of year

Share findings with the staff.

All teaching staff

Learning Leaders

Staff meetings

Term 3

Share information and gather input from our migrant community.

AP, DP and ESOL Lead Teacher

Parent afternoon tea/picnic evening to gather information with the support of translater.

Analyse and summarise parent feedback

Attestation of pastoral care of International Students

Term 3

Guest speaker to speak to staff on the Asian perspective and its impact on our community

Principal

Staff meeting / teacher only day.

Term 2 and 3

Parent Education

Principal and Leadership Team

Parent education for Chinese and Korean parents.

Monitoring 

Teacher Inquiry, Data Stories, Moderation meetings, Staff meetings, Leadership Meetings, ELP ongoing review, Parent and Student Voice

Resourcing

MOE funded courses.  $5000 teacher release.  Ongoing applications for Professional Development funding.

Improvement Plan - Domain: Students Engagement

Strategic Goal 3

Students are engaging in learning that is relevant, engaging, authentic and life long.

Annual Goal

By the end of 2017 we have reviewed our current FHS curriculum and updated the document to reflect our vision and values.

Annual Target

As part of the review process we will analyse the key competencies and how they are reflected in our school curriculum.

Baseline data 

The current Forrest Hill School curriculum was reviewed in 2013. This framework will be our starting point as we  review how the document connects and reflects our current practice. We are working towards a concept based curriculum that focuses on the key competencies and deliberately weaves the NZC values and learning areas into the school programmes.

As part of the process we will develop process to gather data on Key Competencies, Well being - Students, Teachers, Families and Community Engagements

Key Improvement Strategies

• Through staff meetings, staff to connect with the New Zealand Curriculum and look at how our FHS reflects its purpose and scope.
• Senior leadership team will work closely with the Broader Curriculum leader on how our framework reflects the key competencies.
• Look closely into how the key competencies are reflected in our learning programmes
• Staff to make connections across the learning areas under the umbrella of a big concept.
• Through a community survey gather community voice on the parental values and expectations.
• Have an ICT environment that supports students and teachers using technology to explore, create and communicate authentic learning.
• A clear digital learning strategy throughout the school based on GAFE and 2 lead teachers supporting the growth of e-learning pedagogy.
• Implement the Garden to Table programme.
• Develop classrooms that have learning spaces that are vibrant, flexible and encourage and support many different types of learning.
• In the junior school promote learning through play to support the transition to school of our foundation students and the growth of our Year 1 and 2 students.

When

What (examples)  

Who

Indicators of Progress

Term 1

Senior leadership team work on the FHS curriculum framework reflecting on our present documentation and school values

Principal,

Deputy Principals and Lead Teacher

• A visual that can be shared with staff and which represents the principles of the NZC and our existing good practice.
• Clearly identify the importance of the key competencies and where they sit in the framework.
• All members of the senior leadership team can articulate how the school vision and values connect to the FHS curriculum.

Term 1 and ongoing

Staff meetings sharing the visual of the FHS curriculum framework and getting input from the teaching staff.

Senior Leadership team

• Staff are able to clearly articulate and associate the FHS vision and values with the curriculum framework.

Term 1

Teachers are able to plan for and engage students in authentic learning contexts.

Staff

• Students and parents engaged in the learning.
• Growth of student agency.
• Experiences meets students needs and interests from a wide range of perspectives and diversity.
• Teachers use a variety of innovative approaches in all curriculum areas.
• The learning areas of the curriculum are connected to each other.

Ongoing

The Principal drives the vision and values of the school so they are visible and clear

Principal

• All stakeholders involved in discussion around the vision and values.
• The values of the school can be articulated by all stakeholders.
• The vision and values is visible in the school environment including the website.
• Parent “vision” tours of the school each term.

Ongoing

Implementation of the Garden to Table Programme in year 5

Deputy Principal and Year 5 Learning Team

• The Year 5 learning context is linked to the Garden to Table Programme.
• Students are participate in real life cooking and gardening experiences.

Ongoing

Develop Learning Through Play in Year 1 and 2

Deputy Principal

And Junior Learning Teams

• Classroom environment reflects a play based approach to learning.
• Student interests are evident in each classroom environment.
• Curriculum areas are integrated within the play based programme.

Monitoring 

Reports to BOT twice a year. Learning Leaders discussion, staff meetings, signage around the school.

Resourcing 

$5,000 for release for working parties, school visits. $3,000 vision branding