A positive Education Review Office report for Invercargill’s Te Kura o Whare Pā /Fernworth Primary School is being celebrated by the school’s staff and trustees, following a visit from ERO in term four of 2020.

Principal Alison Cook said the school was thrilled that ERO had acknowledged the school had made significant progress to address the areas identified in its 2017 report.

“I am really excited that the hard work of all the staff has been acknowledged, along with the support of the school community. We really can’t stress enough that it is this support that has helped us achieve such wonderful results,” she said.

Advertisement

Advertise on the Southland App

The report found the school had focused initially on building the teaching capacity and lifting achievement in literacy and there were significant improvements in achievement levels over 2019 in reading and writing.

It also found most students had subsequently achieved at or beyond expectation in the arts, technology, social sciences, science, health and aspects of Te Ao Māori.

A large majority of students met or exceeded expectations in visual language, oral language and te reo Māori.

Cook said it was great to see the report had a strong focus on the student experience. The report noted students in 2020 felt positive about their school and being at school, with almost all students positively engaged in their classroom activities, she said. 

“Student’s voices have been very much heard in this report. They are all working so hard on being effective learners and on supporting each other and this shines through,” she said.

Advertisement

Advertise on the Southland App

Cook said there were many exciting plans ahead for the school.

“Hubs are starting this year where all students participate each afternoon in a Hub that focuses on an area that interests them, such as manufacturing or active recreation.

“These hubs will have students of all ages learning together and being provided with learning opportunities with real life contexts that are, in turn, involving our community,” she said.