Upper Harbour Primary School opened in February 2006. The school is situated in a new housing estate in Albany, on Auckland's North Shore and caters for children from the Oaks, Schnapper Rock and eastern Greenhithe communities. The initial roll has increased from 89 students to almost 300. On the completion of the current building project, the school will have the capacity to cater for an anticipated 520 students. This rapid actual and predicted growth in the number of students and teaching staff has a significant impact on the management of the school.

The school is characterised by attractive buildings, well resourced classrooms, and well established playgrounds. From the foundation planning stages onwards, school leaders have engaged in high levels of consultation and communication with staff, parents and the community. As a result, clear expectations and agreed values now underpin all aspects of school operations. The successful efforts of the board of trustees and the leadership team to involve families in the life of the school mean that the school is a valued focal point of the newly established suburb.

Students have moved smoothly into this new school. Most achieve well academically, with the majority meeting or exceeding national expectations for their age. Students respond positively to the well established routines of the school. They have opportunities to develop their leadership skills and benefit from the range of sports and co-curricular activities available to them. Strong, inclusive practices help to ensure that the cultural backgrounds of all students are respected and celebrated. The positive school culture supports student learning.

Teachers are enthusiastic and keen for their students to succeed. They benefit from the professional development available and the support that they receive from the leadership team. Teachers enjoy their work environment and strive to create inviting, stimulating classrooms that provide a secure place in which students can learn. They plan their lessons well and undertake thorough assessments of students' learning. Staff are very accessible to parents and engage in open and transparent communication with them. Well trained teacher aides provide teachers with good classroom support. The good teaching practices evident in the school provide a strong foundation for the ongoing development of school-wide effective teaching strategies.

The leadership team provides strong direction for the school. Its cohesive team members have complementary skills and work successfully to implement their shared vision for the school. The many challenges associated with establishing a school have been well managed. The leadership team is focused on, and committed to, ongoing school improvement. The recent release of the deputy and assistant principals from full classroom teaching responsibilities has enabled these senior staff to work alongside teachers in a modelling/mentoring capacity.

The school is governed efficiently and effectively. The board of trustees is well informed, trained and knowledgeable. Trustees are clear about their responsibilities and have relevant skills and expertise. They understand the school's community, have strong formal and informal links within it, and are highly involved in the corporate life of the school. The board has the ability to sustain current school strengths while focusing on future developments.

This report evaluates the impact of the school's culture on teaching and learning, progress made in raising the achievement of Māori students, the school's readiness to implement the New Zealand Curriculum in 2010, and the provision of a safe physical and emotional environment. ERO finds that very good progress has been made in developing Upper Harbour Primary School into a school that provides students with sound educational opportunities.

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.

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the school or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.

signed

Elizabeth Ellis

Area Manager

for Chief Review Officer

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:

improve educational achievement in schools; and

provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on student achievement and build on each school's self review.

Review Focus

ERO's framework for reviewing and reporting is based on three review strands.

School Specific Priorities - the quality of education and the impact of school policies and practices on student achievement.

Areas of National Interest - information about how Government policies are working in schools.

Compliance with Legal Requirements - assurance that this school has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

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.

Review Recommendations

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a school is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this school.

Decile 1 schools draw their students from areas of greatest socio-economic disadvantage,
Decile 10 from areas of least socio-economic disadvantage.

This report has been prepared in accordance with standard procedures approved by the Chief Review Officer.