Mount Aspiring College (MAC) is starting the 2020 school year facing some significant challenges identified in the Education Review Office (ERO) report on the school completed late last year.

The ERO report identified MAC overall as a “developing” school, a definition which indicates variable conditions for student learning and variable outcomes for students. 

School processes, practices and activities that support culturally responsive education provision are also “developing”, the report noted.

ERO identified priorities for further development at MAC as building professional relationships, developing consistent systems and procedures, and building evaluation capacity.

“As a good employer, the board must have robust and reliable processes in place to regularly know about the wellbeing of all staff. The board must also seek assurance, over time, that the school’s complaints procedures are consistently followed,” Southern Region review and improvement services director Dr Lesley Patterson said in the report.

Principal Wayne Bosley PHOTO: Wanaka App

The Wanaka App asked a senior educationalist from outside Wanaka for their assessment of MAC’s ERO report. 

Being identified at a 'Developing' level is a concern, given there are four levels (Needs Development, Developing, Well Placed, and Strong), they said.

They noted a number of positives, including high overall achievement from the high decile school, 'holistic' curriculum based on local needs, and connections with whanau.

However, they also noted the “fairly strong language” used by ERO in the report. 

“ERO has identified issues with staff relationships particularly around having a shared vision/direction, and having the ability to work together - it appears they're not all in the same waka.”

Staff wellbeing appears to be an issue, and mention of the complaints procedure suggests there are some staff who have complaints which haven’t been resolved, the educationalist said.

MAC board of trustees chair Marty Toomey told the Wanaka App the board and senior management are still in the process of working through the issues raised in the report and concerns “obviously” raised by staff during the ERO visit.

Principal Wayne Bosley said the heads of learning areas (HOLAs) and their staff are focussed on ways to improve outcomes for all students, and they are developing a “much more targeted and specific data system which makes it easier to track specific individuals or groups of students”.

Wayne said the students perform very well at senior NCEA levels, which would not be possible without excellent teaching and learning programmes at Years 7-10. 

“This year our learning goals are to specifically work on strategies that will help improve the achievement of our priority learners in the Junior school and to assist our Maori students to learn and succeed as Maori. Our HOLAs and our specialist classroom teacher are working in 2020 on professional learning to assist our classroom teachers with this,” he said.

Of the roll of 1078 students from Years 7 to 13 in 2019, nine per cent identified as Māori. 

“Our school continues to focus on creating a broad curriculum and learning opportunities which will offer a chance for all students to improve and achieve - not just academically - but across all areas (social, sporting, culture and service). There are so many opportunities on offer for our students, our aim is that they embrace as many of them as possible,” Wayne said.

Neither Marty nor Wayne would comment on the suspension of a senior staff member at the beginning of this year. 

“Employees are entitled to confidentiality when employment issues are raised and resolved. Therefore, it is not appropriate for me to respond further,” Wayne said.

Read the full ERO report here.