A Far North school that faced a series of scandals in recent years has received a mixed report from the Education Review Office.
A recent ERO report on Broadwood Area School, 48km south of Kaitaia, found progress had been made at the school but it needed to overhaul its staff management
systems after facing a series of staff problems.
In October last year, ERO visited the 118-pupil school which has had three staffing scandals.
In November, physical education teacher Peter Scott resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct and supplying alcohol to students on school camps.
In the middle of last year, the school hired Conrad Petersen -- a man sacked from Buller High School in 2002 for an alleged relationship with a pupil in the 1970s.
The allegations were never proved and were denied by Mr Petersen, who resigned from Broadwood in September.
In late 2001, Gemma Aspden was sacked for allegedly having a relationship with a 17-year-old student. It was later found she was not a registered teacher.
ERO said the school board did not always take appropriate and decisive action in dealing with unprofessional conduct of teachers, and the appointment and retention of staff was "very problematic."
"Negative publicity resulting from some appointments has been detrimental to the school," the ERO report said
The school has a Ministry of Education adviser helping improve its personnel management systems.
Principal Pani Hauraki said the school's appointment policies were strong and staffing issues had just been a string of unforeseeable bad luck.
"We have every system that any other school in New Zealand has, every check and balance. It's just uncanny that it's happened to us three times," Ms Hauraki said.
She said the report was realistic.
"I think they acknowledged a lot of good things we do as well. There are a lot of innovative things happening too."
The report praised the standard of teaching, and the bi-cultural nature of the school which has 93 per cent Maori. ERO found the school's emphasis on literacy was paying off, with junior students reading and writing at or above their age level.
ERO noted the school made every effort to retain students and provide good pastoral care. No students had been suspended for three years, and discipline was usually addressed through the involvement of the principal and whanau.
ERO said some parents were concerned about bullying at the school, despite anti-bullying programmes to ensure a safe environment, and more could be done.
Ms Hauraki said the school was doing its best to eliminate bullying, but some of it was "the reality of our school make-up."
She said the school had done well, despite the "slather of 2002."
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)
A Far North school that faced a series of scandals in recent years has received a mixed report from the Education Review Office.
A recent ERO report on Broadwood Area School, 48km south of Kaitaia, found progress had been made at the school but it needed to overhaul its staff management
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