He rei ngā niho, he parāoa ngā kauae
To have a whale’s tooth, you must also have a whale’s jaw: To hold the mantle of leadership, one must embody the true qualities of a leader.
Module Objectives:
- Understand governance structures in education.
- Master reporting requirements.
- Develop effective reporting skills.
- Ensure accountability and transparency.
- Understand compliance with regulations.
- Apply ethical principles to governance and reporting.
For all kura there is a ‘truth’ about who they are, how successful they are in the provision of learning outcomes and how they manage the resources, financial and otherwise in that provision. This includes their culture, academic performance, and their potential to provide for the learning and well being of both students (akonga) and staff and their engagement with, and in representation of, their community.
There are multiple lenses through which this ‘truth’ can be observed and performance measured through time and it is these multiple lenses which the Principal is responsible for keeping polished and focused. The focus being not what reporting looks like but why it is structured in the way that it is and how Principals best ensure delivery on reporting outcomes.
Section 1: In School Reporting
The diagrams below provide potential overviews of how reporting on progress is scaffolded within a school, including where the various layers of school leadership assume responsibility, and where the governance role takes over from management, at the point where the Board of Trustees is involved.
While these diagrams are simplistic they clarify the planning and reporting flow that lies behind the annual report, and the external ERO reviews, and the relevance and reliance each has on the other. They show the reporting chains designed to capture an authentic picture of school progress and future planning.
They also connect planning at each level, the setting of school direction, with the compliance pathway to government legislation (The Education and Training Act 2020) and set out where accountability should be visible.
This module invites you to examine aspects of the ‘official’ pictures of school performance, the reporting part of the strategic management and reporting cycle and provides you with the opportunity to reflect on either the shorter annual and internal mechanisms to capture delivery and engagement with the school community (charter, annual plan, analysis of variance) or the longer term external review cycle that determines how the school is sustaining delivery and engagement (ERO reports, MoE statistics).
As well as the references provided, you may need to access your kura’s latest ERO report, current charter and latest Analysis of Variance and Annual Report.
Resource 1: School Planning and Reporting Framework
Resource 2: Toolkit on school planning and reporting for school boards, principals, and staff
Section 2: External Reporting
Resource 3: “How ERO Reviews”
https://ero.govt.nz/how-ero-reviews
Task:
There are two options for this activity, to work either focus on in-school or external reporting. You need only respond to one option although you may wish to explore both for your own professional learning.
The readings provided give background to both the planning and reporting cycle and also to the functions of the ERO interface with schools. Given the nature of reporting at this level you may need to gather data for your response in discussion with your Principal and/or Board Chair.
In approx 150 words either:
EITHER: In-School Reporting
Use page 60 and 61 of the above document (https://web-assets.education.govt.nz/s3fs-public/2024-09/Te-Whakangarahu-Ngatahi-Toolkit-on-school-planning-and-reporting-for-boards-and-principals-September-2024.pdf?VersionId=odPTebMqtwU1HyVxfMEnWOm5sakVtmnY) to reflect on your kura’s progress last year. Talk with your principal or learning partner about your reflections. Post the key reflections from this discussion on the forum.
OR: ERO Reporting
Working with your school’s latest ERO report, reflect on the review process, the recommended changes from that report and the subsequent work done to adjust and refine the planning and reporting cycle in your school. Talk with your principal or learning partner about your reflections. Post the key reflections from this discussion on the forum.
Assessment:
- Completion of all readings.
- Discussion with your principal or learning partner.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
One Response
Kia ora koutou mā
I am looking the task of in school reporting and linking it to the Statement of Variance aspect of annual reporting.
At the end of 2024, I was lucky enough to be guided through writing a Statement of Variance in relation to an area I lead. Through this process, we realised that the target we had set didn’t truly match the assessment tools we would be using to assess the tamariki’s learning.
It was a writing target, but due to the PLD we received, we ended up putting much more time and resources into implementing a Structured Literacy approach in spelling and reading. This became a main focus for us, and we didn’t fully anticipate the time it would take to implement. However, since our focus was on writing, we still had to report on our writing data—which did not make for great reading.
This was a big learning curve for us, and this year, as we set our targets, we are ensuring that the assessment tools we use align with the targets we are focusing on.