2023 Highlights, Celebrations and Next Steps

This document supports the Highlights and Celebrations 2023 page with the colorful images and information on it, providing more details. These are just some of our celebrations for the 2023 year. Like all schools we continually look for ways we can improve. Staff spend time looking at student achievement data, analysing what is working well and what areas need future  focus. All teachers have specific target groups in their learning communities.

This document also links to some of our next steps in areas identified for improvement.

We celebrate our many ethnicities at OPS - we currently have over 40. We acknowledge that within each of the Ministry of Education identified ethnicity groups, there are many unique groups of ākonga.

Using the Ministry of Education Ethnicities, this is the breakdown of our school.

2023 Whole School Achievement and Progress Data 

We share with whānau during the year information about their individual child’s learning.

The information below refers to the whole school or groups within our school.

‘Within the expected level’ refers to the New Zealand Curriculum level each ākonga should be learning and achieving at.

The 2023 achievement data was based on 463 ākonga - this includes ākonga with additional needs and English Language Learners.

Expected and Accelerated progress

Our focus is ākonga making the expected progress of one year’s learning and progress each calendar year.

When ākonga are learning below their expected level we aim for them to make accelerated progress - more than a year’s learning / progress in a calendar year.

Literacy Celebration

 -  In the year 2023, over 90% of our Year 0-2 ākonga made exciting progress in Reading. Our Year 0-2 teachers were involved in BSLA (Better Start Literacy Approach) training for the full year. BSLA approach teaches critical phonological awareness and letter sound knowledge skills through fun activities and games. The approach teaches vocabulary and improves oral narrative and listening comprehension skills using quality children's storybooks.

2023 Achievement and Progress Data Based on Ethnicity 

This data shows that there are differences in achievement between ethnic groups. Part of our planning within our 2024 - 2025 Strategic Plans aims to address this - see more below.

Next steps - 2024 - 2025 Strategic Planning

The data clearly shows us that an area of focus needs to be strategies to support our Māori and Pacific ākonga. 

We note through analysis of student achievement data that the ‘Structured Literacy’ approach to Literacy we are using, has made a positive difference for ākonga of all ethnicities.

This is a major focus as part of our 2024-2025 Strategic Plan.

Our Onehunga Primary School Strategic Plan 2024 - 2025 reflects groups of ākonga within our school who are not yet making the progress they should be. There is a specific focus on Māori and Pacific ākonga’s learning. 

You can see in our Strategic Plan focuses on:

• Literacy 

• Attendance

• Hauora / Wellbeing

• Targeted focus on ākonga not yet achieving

• Targeted focus on Māori and Pacific ākonga

• Planning and preparation for a major focus on Maths in 2024

Each year we develop an ‘Annual Implementation Plan’ which sets out how we are going to achieve the goals in our Strategic Plan. It’s a working document which a number of staff add to over a year. You can see updates of our 2024 Annual Implementation Plan progress once a term on the Board of Trustees section of our OPS Website.

2023 Highlights and Celebrations

These are just some of the highlights and celebrations from the 2023 school year at Onehunga Primary School.

New Building Completion

• A very significant building project completed on time and within budget

• Smooth transition into new spaces - our  whole school moved

• Uninterrupted learning 

• Staff and ākonga utilising new spaces designed to support learning

• Cook and Create spaces being well used by learning communities throughout the school.

• Ongoing collaboration between Kaiako (teachers) and ākonga (learners).

• Official Building Blessing and Opening Celebration

Literacy Development

• A change in our approach to teaching Literacy based on scientific research

• Successful application for funding for professional learning to ensure a consistent Literacy approach throughout  our school

OPS Staff Professional Learning

• Literacy - All Year 0-4 teachers involved in Literacy Professional Learning

• Leadership Development - supported by external facilitator

• Ongoing Professional Learning and Development of EPIC Environments ( Emotional, Physical and Intellectually Challenging Environments.) & High Expectation Teaching Practices

EPIC environment

Developed research based OPS principles to support an Emotional, Physical and Intellectually Challenging Environment.  We will continue to develop our EPIC environment.

• E - Emotional Environment

• P - Physical Environment

• I.C - Intellectually Challenging Environment

Localising our Curriculum (Learning that cannot be left to chance)

• OPS staff and ākonga learning and exploring local stories about the local maunga (mountains), rohe (region) and moana (water).

• Matariki Stargazing and breakfast

• Matariki Huri Huri Rotation around Matariki focused activities.

• Integrating language weeks in our learning programmes

• Inquiry learning celebration: Maramataka, Tainui waka, Hape, Whakapapa, Kumara pūrākau, karakia, waiatas, Te Pane o Mataoho, Maungakiekie, Te Manukanuka o Hotorua.

Music

• We CARE Music - Music specialist providing music and singing learning

• Lewis Eady Music programme available for ākonga

• Funding Sourced for free ukulele group in 2024

Language Celebrations Weeks - Multiple weeks!

• Celebrating and sharing of culture, clothing, stories, traditions and food.

• Opportunities for all cultures to be recognised and valued as part of learning programmes

Introduction of Little Kiwis transition to school programme

• 5 week visit programme to build relationships and support a smooth transition to school.

• Early Childhood Centres relationship building

• Positive feedback from whānau involved

Fundraising towards Sport and PE Shed and school resources

• $50K of successful grant applications

• Beats By Bingo & OPS Fun Run raised $38,000 for SPort and PE Shed

• New compost bins from the local board initiative

Kahui Ako Engagement - Te Iti Kahuirangi (Cluster of 10 school work working together)

• Staff professional learning and development as part of Kahui Ako involvement

• Kahui Ako Attendance Initiative - led by OPS DP