School Leader Discussion #3

Our school is middle-senior heavy and male-dominated, with our latest testing results showing that 66% of our Yr4-8 students are achieving below the national expectancy for writing. As alarming as this statistic is, it provided us with two key thoughts and feelings. One, what an exciting inquiry this will be with much to learn, develop and implement. Two, we are in the right area to ensure we are putting the children's needs at the forefront of our discussions. Our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) conversation was very simple and precise. We used the data to confirm and inform our teacher judgement and assumptions and came up with the following key points that my inquiry needed to address:

1) Is there a love or passion for writing? - if not, what are we doing about it?

2) How are we teaching writing? Do we need to shift our mindset to better facilitate and prepare our students for their futures in high school?

• Kotahitanga - oneness - unity encouragement and moving forward together

3) How are we integrating writing across the curriculum and giving the children enough time to practice the skills taught?

• Maramatanga - Understanding. Can see the relevance in learning something and how they can apply it.

4) We need home engagement - set up workshops each term?

• Whakawhanaungatanga - belonging whanau inclusiveness and connectedness
• Rangatiratanga - self-governance - being in control. Giving tauira and whānau the information to create their own pathways

5) How are we measuring our success? Formative and summative assessment. How is this then being shared with staff, children and whānau?

6) Are we creating a safe space within our writing programme for children to fail successfully? Do we celebrate success and failure equally?

• Kotahitanga - oneness - unity encouragement and moving forward together
• Hakari - celebrating success

These points I felt were balanced within the realms of academia and holistic/hauora approaches to learning. Showing the balance we have within our SLT while leaning nicely into the original question I posed of: 

'How does a Māori centred theory and practice approach lift the achievement of writers in Yr 6-8?

Our next step