ERO report gives Tikipunga High a tick for active management

A "struggling" Whangarei high school's drive to "headhunt" excellent teachers has earned it a big tick from the Education Review Office.
Over the past four years, Tikipunga High School has increased its teaching staff from 28 to 40 full-timers, and its student roll from 344 pupils in 2002 to 489 - the latter represents a 42 percent increase.
Principal Bernie Taffs - who was commended by review officers for providing strong and positive leadership - said the school had been struggling in 2002 when he arrived so he was pleased all the hard work to improve safety, quality of teaching and student achievement had been acknowledged.
Tikipunga High School draws pupils from one of Whangarei's lowest socio-economic groups. The intermediate and high school roll is 73 percent Maori.
"The board and myself decided the key to enhancing school development was quality teaching.
"Staff have reacted really well and they've played a key role in lifting Tiki' up," Mr Taffs said.
He said he "headhunted" excellent teachers and his mainly young, Maori staff were an asset as they were enthusiastic and related well to the students.
Also, discipline was hardened to ensure a safe school environment. This was achieved by kicking out some notoriously naughty students.
The Education Review Office focused its report on the quality of teaching to see how well the school had improved following concerns about the variable quality of teaching in its 2002 review.
"Improved leadership, positive staffing developments, ongoing professional development, the expansion of educational programmes and an increasing school roll signal clearly that the school is on a cycle of significant improvement," the report said.
Such programmes include an after school centre where students are helped with homework, and setting up "relevant" subjects such as automotive skills.
However, the reviewers said the school needed to broaden its focus on developing a culture of learning and teaching through methods such as ensuring teachers catered for students' diverse learning needs.
Teachers were also encouraged to increase student engagement in their own learning.
"Not all teachers plan and implement programmes that specifically address the needs of the diverse range of students in their classrooms," the report said.
Mr Taffs recognised that students needed to be more actively engaged in their learning. "Most kids are lovely but for a few of them school is just a nice place to go. We want to focus them on student achievement," Mr Taffs said.
The school plans to broaden its trade programme and will this year focus on student wellbeing.