Statement of Variance

 

    Statement of Variance
School Name:
Horeke School
School Number:
1016
Strategic Aims:
Te Taiao - Environment
Tū Tangata - Self Awareness
He kete tuatoru:
Te Kete Tuauri - Values and Beliefs
Te Kete Tuatea - Skills and knowledge (here and now)
Te Kete Aronui - Skills and knowledge (in the future)
Annual Aims: 
Te Taiao - Environment
Encourages and promotes learning
Safe (physical and mental wellbeing) environment
Inclusive (whānau/parents/community support)

Tū Tangata - Self Awareness
Te Marau-a-kura-o-Horeke
Tikanga/Pepeha
Noho marae/wānanga
Community involvement/relationships
Board training
On-going staff development and appraisal

Tū Tangata - Self Awareness
Te Kete Tuauri - Values and Beliefs

Tikanga (karakia, whakatau/pōwhiri, mihimihi, waiata, kapa haka, customs)
Understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Whanaungatanga (relationships)
Ettique (being polite, manners)
Considerations for others
Tuakana/Teina
Desire to learn (potential)

Te Kete Tuatea - Skills and knowledge (here and now) / Te Kete Aronui - Skills and knowledge (in the future)

Numeracy (integrated)
Literacy (integrated)
Understanding mana whenua and identity
Bilingual and other language opportunities
Bi-cultural and other cultural awareness
Instruction in te reo and tikanga
Digital citizenship - use of current and future technologies (i.e. computers, digital technologies etc)
Access to national and international qualifications
Inquiry learning and teaching (from knowledge to understanding)
Physical wellbeing
Recreational sports
Target: 
Te Taiao - Environment
Student attendance 50% Regular Attendance
Students are achieving and progressing
Safety standards compliance (safety checks, transport, building compliance)
Routines and procedures
Supervision is required
All whānau are involved in school activities
Wairua (rangimarie)

Tū Tangata - Self Awareness
Participation, engagement of the wider community in school events (i.e. Matariki, school events)
Learning programmes
Noho marae
Participate in community events (regatta etc)
Whānau and community well informed of local events through pānui
Contentment
Self-assurance

Tū Tangata - Self Awareness
Te Kete Tuauri - Values and Beliefs

Everyone (including students) know what to do
Sense of place and belonging
Interrelationships (student to student, student to adult/kaiako/staff/whānau)
Awareness of history (local history, legends, myths)
Contentment
Te Kete Tuatea - Skills and knowledge (here and now) / Te Kete Aronui - Skills and knowledge (in the future)

High expectations for all learners
Sound curriculum knowledge and pedagogical processes
Lifelong learning and self learning
Evaluating positive and sustainable changes in learning and life
Support for under-performing learners
Parents included in learning processes
Computers and digital technologies available as learning tools
Baseline Data: 
Reading Level for Teina - May:

Of 9 students, 39.8% started term 2 at level 2 and; 31.6.% at level 3 ; 12.5% at level 23

Writing Level for Teina - May:

Of 7 students , 12.5%  started term 2 at  emergent; 50%at 1B ;25%  at 1P and 12.5% at 2B

Reading Level for Tuakana - May:

Of 8 students, 25% started at level 11 to 15; 25% started between levels 18-21; 25% started at levels 30;12.5%at 30 and above.

Writing Level for Tuakana - May:

Of 8 students, 62.5% started at level 1A;12.5% at 1B;12.5% at 1B  and 12.5% at 4A 

 

  Actions

What did we do?
Outcomes

What happened?
Te Taiao - Environment
Attendance:

Rewarded weekly attendance
 Shared % present every week
Communicated with families on a daily basis about attendance
End of term rewards  shop whereby they get dollars to spend ie $100 =$ 10
Promoting a safe positive  environment where students 
Attendance:

        June  2025           20.8% Regular

        May  2026             57.6 %Regular

The school now follows a Attendance strategy plan 
Whānau have appreciated one-to-one kōrero around their child when calling about attendance. It has been received as support and a positive aspect of school.
Whaea Marj is sent out to talk to whanau if pupils are away for more than a week
Safety standard compliance:

New Caretaker Fire trained to compliance.

Health and Safety Register Updated

Fire Register updated.
Safety standard compliance:

Visit by compliance officer to train caretaker to compliance 

.
Routines and procedures:

Continue to implement procedures across the school that match policies in place.

Continued  meditation for students to support mental wellbeing 
Introduced wellbeing support from Mana ake team ( Hokianga Health )
Introduced Tuakana leadership Module from Ngapuhi Iwi services
Routines and procedures:

Updated Emergency Health and Safety plan. Students and staff understand what is required in an emergency and have improved their actioning in emergency drills.
Staff now have developed skills in talking pupils through strategies.
Recorded Incidence went down by 31% by end of term 4
Student to student interaction is a lot more positive in nature
Student voices suggest that school is a safer place to be and that issues are dealt with fairly.
Students are achieving and progressing

We continue to develop our local curriculum to be relevant for students
Implemented reading programme - ready to read, phonics
 Implementation of BLSA reading Programme
 New staff trained ( Myk)
Students are achieving and progressing

Local curriculum plan was implemented term 4 with   Mountain to Sea Whitebait Connections. This included water sampling at local awa and 1 other ( Forest Pools ) Looking at results and children writing to Lake Omapere komiti and FNDC
More engaged with writing. 
Students are more engaged with their learning as evidenced through a drop in off-task behaviour
Students 
f 

 

Students reading levels have improved over terms 2 -

Teina:
34.6% ↑ 2 level
28.6% ↑ 3 levels
36.8% ↑ 3levels

Tuakana:
17.5% ↑ 1 levels
37.5% 2  levels
25%   3 levels
20 %  levels

Students writing levels have improved over terms 2-4 2024: and Term 1 2025

Teina: 

                 14.2%   moved no  level

                 71% moved up to 1 levels

                 14.2% moved up 2 levels

                 

Tuakana:
79.5% moved 2 levels
20.5 % moved 1 level

All whānau are involved in school activities:

Ask for parent support in away trips.
Whanau Day Matariki  / Whanau Hangi
Rawhiti Noho Camp
Working bee to return to school
Prize Giving 35 whanau
All whānau are involved in school activities:

Parents have been involved in school trips - using vehicles to get to sports trips etc. Although not enough parent cars and will need to find funding for gas etc
More whanau on board of trustees

Parents attended:
  Athletic Day at Mangamuka School
 Kaikohe Football Carnival
   Taina tag Rugby
   Tuakana Tag Rugby
   Rawhiiti  Marae Noho
  Duffy Book Play
  Tangihanga Visits with Tamariki.
 Weetbix Challenge 

  

 

Tū Tangata - Self Awareness
Learning programmes:

Implemented reading programme - ready to read, phonics
Implement numicon 
Developing local curriculum for students to know and understand their own whenua
Implementation of BLSA reading Programme
Introduced  Tree Planting 
Mariam Centre Councillor
Te AKo Mana Wellbeing Tutors 
Introduced Electronic Design programme.
Cooking Classes for tuakana with Chef 
Learning programmes:

Reading levels have improved slightly over terms 2-4 - see data above.
Prime Maths offered better differentiation for students, which meant work was more targeted to their level. However this is for Tuakana. Teina struggled due to reading of Prime
Local curriculum plan  implemented with Units on Rivers to Sea and Connection team.
Local kuia - specialists in local Awa talking to students.
Local experts on tree planting spoke and taught tamariki how to plant and protect waterways in Motukiore.
Students doing programmes from the Mana  Ako Team including gardening, meditation, Music lessons and wellbeing.
Okaihau College Students  leadership group coming
 down and working with alongside tamariki

Art Group Taiao came to take Tamariki for art 
Waiata with Ngapuhi iwi Services Rep

Participate in community events:

Students attended planting trees in Motukiore 
 Attended Waka Ama Chamonships  in Kohukohu 
Painting with local art group
Local wakaama
Participate in community events:

Students’ art was displayed and critiqued by parents 
Whānau were able to see their tamariki art exhibited in a wider community context. Whānau commented about how positive this experience was.
Tamariki participated in local hunting competition
Whānau and community well informed of local events through pānui:

Tū Tangata pānui to community fortnightly.
Facebook Page.
Started to develop School Website
Whānau and community well informed of local events through pānui:

Copies of the Tū Tangata pānui goes to the doctors and the marae
 School needs a website 
School has facebook page 
Contentment/Self Assurance

Continued Miriam Centre Counselling for students, staff and now parents
Mana Ako tutors focusing on wellbeing
Ngapuhi Iwi Services now are at school weekly
Contentment/Self Assurance

Positive parental feedback around the counsellor’s mahi - student and whānau hui were appreciated
Students became more aware of their actions through one-to-one conversations with the counsellor
Tū Tangata - Te Kete Tuauri (Values and Beliefs)
Sense of place and belonging:

Taumata
Tangihanga visits to local marae
Went to each marae in the area to take pikitia for pepeha
Sense of place and belonging:

More uptake from tamariki in attending the Taumata
Students are growing in confidence in all aspects of the roles involved - e.g. a student who is very quiet in class, volunteered herself to be kaikarakia
Students’ have an increased sense of belonging to their own place in the community 
Marae visits include listening to local tikanga,, waiata and whakatauki
Tuakana standing up and doing whaikorero in the Marae
 Inviting speakers up to talk and tamariki welcoming onto marae
Inter-relationships:

Kaiako and students sharing strategies around how to manage their own behaviour
Co-constructed rules for the kura
Relating values back to local tikanga and kawa.
Inter-relationships:

Students are starting to self-manage their own behaviour
Students are starting to understand why they respond in the ways they do and alter this behaviour - e.g. less outbursts
Kōrero with students so they can understand “the why” to their behaviour has led to more self-awareness
Students developing responsibility for actions
Tū Tangata - Te Kete Tuatea (Skills and knowledge (here and now) / Te Kete Aronui (Skills and knowledge in the future)
High expectations for all learners:

Focus on building students’ self-efficacy in the classroom
Ensuring students were aware of their own standards
Supporting students to see their value as a learner
High expectations for all learners:

Kaiako have noticed students have more awhi towards one another - both in and outside of the classroom
Because students were able to experience success, they began to see their capabilities and were more enthusiastic about their own learning.
In subjects students see and feel success.
More awhi from tuakana to taina
 Increased independence from tuakana 
Sound curriculum knowledge of pedagogical processes:

Sought PLD for staff - literacy, junior reading, planning, modelling lessons, observations and feedback
PLD for digital learning 
Staff attending Kahui Ako PLD
Sound curriculum knowledge of pedagogical processes:

Our Teina teacher gained more understanding of curriculum knowledge in these areas. This is  starting to embed into their practice
 Observations for BSLA at Ohaewai Primary School
Observations for Prime at Okaihau Primary school.
 Refresh Maths Curriculum inset day.
Course in Whangarei regarding Awa to Sea programme.
Support for under-performing learners

Instituted in classroom support for our lower ability learners - RTLB
Increased frequency of reading in class time
Support for under-performing learners

RTLB support with learning programmes - this was the beginning of Ready to Read Phonics, which has led to more engagement from students.
Enrolling  for BLSA and applying practise into programs 
RTLB support liaising with parents so parents are part of the learning journey and involved in hui with these students
Increased reading frequency and quality one to one time for these students
Increased reading for pleasure
National library books for each level including graphic readers and leveled fiction and nonfiction books.
 FNDC mobile library coming to school every 2 weeks 
Parents included in learning processes:

Parents attend weekly prize giving
Increased turn out at end of year Prize giving
Parent voice suggesting more reading at home
Community voice of Strategic  Plan on General Election Day. Responses adapted into plan
Parents included in learning processes:

More Parents coming in to read with Pupils
Facebook page 
Website up and running
Parent Voice at Parent interviews.
Meeting and communication to explain BSLA
Parents were invited to test water samples with tamariki.

 

Computers and digital technologies available as learning tools:

Support from Cognition aand Tumuaki o Aotearoa

Computers and digital technologies available as learning tools:

Sessions for staff and students has increased confidence and capability in using programmes for animation, photography and google classroom
Introduction of Step Webs for spelling and phonics
Joined Maths Whizz program
 Computers will need to be updated within next year due to use 
Reasons for the variance - why did it happen?

Why did you get (or not get) the   outcomes you thought you would?

 Couldn't recruit another staff Teacher for Teina Class
Six pupil did not move up a level  in writing due to one teacher in kura and being taught by  Teacher Assistant
 Staff member contract finished at end of term one.. Secondly, the school  started with a BSLA programme with different data.
Student literacy and numeracy has improved as students are more engaged with learning. Tuakana Reading was accelerated but Teina improved but not accelerated.
BSLA programme not fully implemented in 2025. Started again within re enrolment of Darron for years  4 to t6
Improving teacher capability in phonics and introduction of Better start Literacy for 2025 to improve reading in Teina 
Continued teacher Asisstant  capability through PLD, observations
The culture of  the school is extremely positive, the well being of the tamariki has been noticed by whānau. This has seen an increase of attendance.

Which strategies worked well and had a significant impact on your progress in achieving your target? Why do you think this was the case?

Social strategies around working alongside students in order for them to understand the reasons for their behaviour as well as beginning to see themselves as learners
Diagnosis of students needs to get support from outside agecies
Ready to Read Phonics has had a significant impact on students’ reading levels. It has given students confidence in their abilities.
Implementation of Local Curriculum and hands on activities
Engaging with whānau has ensured they feel welcome and part of their student’s learning journey and therefore more open to things happening at the kura

Which strategies were not effective and had little or no impact in achieving your target? Why do you think this was the case?

While our kaiako received PLD, this was not embedded in practice quickly. I believe that if we had met more frequently and continually revised planning and practice notes, this may have had a different outcome.
No second teacher for 2025
Not enough progress at teina reading therefore more focused PLD for phonics to advance teina reading. Using local schools to observe and use for PLD At times this did not happen due to staff absences
Evaluation - where to next?

What will we do the same next year?

Implementation of local curriculum to increase relevance for students
Continue to work with students around their self-awareness and self-efficacy in their learning and behaviour
Continue to focus on literacy, writing and numeracy acceleration under ministr
Continue to improve pedagogic capability
Noho continued in the community and in Rawhiti.
Te Reo program embeded into curriculum and aligned with Staff PLD
Deciding on assessment strategies that are not as time consuming but give a fair reflection of the progress made

What will we do differently next year?

 Employ a second teacher for next year   This was achieved

Assessment practices need to be aligned with the curriculum and all staff need to have consistent practice.
 Buid relationships with  local tumuaki and schools to share successful strategies.
Whole school Literacy Lessons as introductions.
More writing of experiences and literacy covering more curriculum areas.
 Employ a second teacher regardless if numbers are just under 26 pupils
Engage more ministry support

What impact is there on current and ongoing teaching practice as a result of the actions taken and the results?

Some of our actions have shown gaps in our curriculum and pedagogy knowledge. This will be a priority for 2025
Continuing to increase understanding around literacy and numeracy pedagogy is essential for our community 
Embed new maths curriculum
Continue development of literacy 

Have you identified any ongoing teacher or student needs?

Some pupils have to improve attendance.
Staff absence has an effect on the programme. Principal is reluctant to close school
To continue to plan for succession, we want to support our current kaiāwhina to train as a teacher. We will support her to apply for a scholarship and ensure that her study is supported while continuing with mahi

What funding/resourcing may be necessary to support identified actions and needs?

Relief funding for PLD
More external funding to  give pupils more experiences.
RTLB resourcing
Funding for travel for trips
More PLD for staff in BSLA.
Continued input from Te Ako  Hauora Hokianga and Ngapuhi  iwi Services
We are an isolated, rural school and so any funding and resource is appreciated and well-used
Planning for next year:
Provide a description of the actions the board will take to address any targets that were not achieved. This may involve including aims and targets in next year’s planning document to address the variance.

Assessment practices will be aligned with the curriculum and all staff need to have consistent practice - this will be a priority for 2025/2026 especially with new curriculums
Continued implementation  of local curriculum to increase relevance for students
Continue to work with students around their self-awareness and self-efficacy in their learning and behaviour
Continue to focus on literacy, writing  and numeracy acceleration including structure
Work with kaiako to ensure that pedagogy aligns with the shift toward local curriculum
Continuing to increase understanding around literacy and numeracy pedagogy is essential for our community
Accurate Baseline data for January  may and December 2025 See Ministry for new applications of data
Implementation of increased Te Reo school wide