BIRD’S EYE VIEW

December 8, 2015

Kia ora koutou

This newsletter aims to give some background to two key elements of finishing the school year – school reports and classes for 2016. It also provides an explanation of composite classes to the parent community and why we operate them at Muritai.

SCHOOL REPORTS
On Friday children will bring home an envelope with their end of year written report and a letter and a list that shows their class and teacher for 2016.

This report will show how your child is progressing against the national standards processes using your child's ‘teacher judgment’ in reading, writing and maths.

Children receive information and feedback on how they are doing at school all the time, everyday, specifically related to their next steps for learning. To read, write and do maths well the children have to show many different skills at various times of the year. To summarize children into a simple box that indicates whether they are well below, below, at or above - against a very wide standard - is quite tricky. The curriculum achievement report gives rich information about some specifics within the disciplines, as well as commenting on work, class conduct and study skills. The general comment that concludes this report provides a brief commentary of how the children have performed, what they have done well or struggled with, and what they may focus on next year. 

In our view, at this stage, our visual presentation of the national standards, and the school report is the clearest way to inform you of how well your child is doing against firstly the national standard, and secondly the NZ curriculum. Generally, at best though the national standards provide a ‘snapshot’ position of your child within the disciplines of reading, writing and maths.

If you need further explanation of progress please try and touch base with the teacher before the end of the year.

CLASS STRUCTURE 2016

Class placement notices will be coming home this Friday. The last fortnight have been a bit topsy-turvey with a constant stream of information coming my way, from staff changes and replacements, and notification of students leaving, therefore impinging on the structure of each class. We have settled today on our final line up of staffing and classes.

With a starting roll in 2016 of 390 Muritai will start with 18 classrooms and grow to 19 through the year, with maybe a 20^th required in October, depending on our new entrant intake. Our finishing roll in December looks to be about 435.

In establishing classes - we have taken into account – and committed staffing to match the following -

·       the expected children (45) coming to Muritai through the year.

·       the need to have learning spaces available for the children. At this stage all of our main classrooms will be fully used by July.

·       the available funds to pay teachers required to be in front of these classes.

·       the fact that each year group does not fit nicely into small groups of even sizes, with a number of bulges in year groups and some gender imbalance. So some give and take HAS to be accepted.

·       our geography, with a split site for Y7-8, has to be catered for.

The Ministry funds the school on the following ratios - 1 teacher to 15 children for new entrants, 1 : 23 in years 1-3 and at 1 : 29 at year 4-8. It is nearly impossible to apply these ratios in practice across the 8 year levels at Muritai and so there needs to be some ‘ups and downs’ in structuring the groups. In addition to this, due to our decile rating and high student achievement performance, the school receives limited funding for learning support, reading recovery and extension programmes – this has to be allocated out of operational funds. It is an extremely tight financial scenario and the Board and management team has grabbled with various line ups and possibilities and has settled on the one that provides best value for money, a consistent strategy and is within budget. It would be nice to have another classroom in operation but this is just not possible.

What the school is able to provide in 2016, on average is class sizes of 19-24 in year 1-2; 5 classes of 19-21 in year 3-4; 5 classes of 27-28 in year 5-6 and 20-22 in year 7-8. At the same time the Board is committing all parent donation funds to additional teaching resources and not into the general running of the school. 

PLACING CHILDREN INTO CLASSES

Over the year we have observed the children and have noted who works effectively together and who doesn’t. In addition to this we use parent information and teacher observation throughout the year and we have formed 18 classes that we think will be very successful. It is important to note that not all children’s wishes and wants can be realised. There will be some changes for some children as we look to expand their friendship groupings and make sure that the classes are even and have a workable dynamic about them. In particular the year 4 group will be go from being in three classes in 2015 to being spread across 5 classes in 2016 so it is a big change for them, but a useful one as well as part of their growth and maturity.

Children will spend time in their new classes on Monday between 9.30 and 10.30 and get to meet their new teacher. If I may I ask you to be supportive of the school through this process. What may seem as a disappointment to some children, needs to be seen as an opportunity for them. They have all been placed with lovely children and excellent teachers.  It is always a juggling act to fit around 390 children into classes. Any change can have significant ramifications for many other children's placements. We shared our school policy on class placements early this term and asked parents if they had any educational concerns to let us know. A few did this. Whether parents or children don’t get the teacher they want their children is not really justification for making changes to class lists after they have been issued and does challenge the equitable process for placing 390 children into working groups.

We really want Friday to be about the school report, and not the class list. I request that you take the envelopes home and open it there, rather than opening them at school and then having a frenetic free for all in the playground, where people wind each other up about which teacher your child has, and which children are with who. I urge you to take a deep breath when the lists come out on Friday.

SUMMARY OF STAFF CHANGES

We have had a couple of resignations lately and have made some subtle changes accordingly to make up next year.   I thought I would summarise that changing landscape for 2016.

·       Stu Devenport is off to be principal of South Makirikiri School. Replacing him as AP of senior school is Annette Borgonje and she will teach room 24.

·       Replacing Annette as a year 5-6 class teacher is Julie Small and she will teach in room 14.

·       Anand Ranchod is teaching at Wellesley next year and replacing Anand in the senior school is Carl Woodhams. Carl is very keen to pursue his teaching career with older children and so is keen to take up this opportunity in year 7-8 due to Anand’s departure.

·       Replacing Carl Woodhams in room 15 is Jordana Phillips.  As mentioned previously Jordana joins us from Thorndon School.

·       Shelley Frith has recently resigned from Muritai to take a short break from teaching. Replacing Shelley in room 13 for 2016 is Michelle Hollard. Michelle joins us from Chilton St James and is a very experienced teacher with many years service – in fact she was teaching at Muritai when I arrived and left here for promotion! It is nice to have her back in the Muritai team.

·       Briana Treder is taking maternity leave and will be replaced by a returning Jess Savage who will take the Y3-4 class in room 11. It is great to have Jess back in the Muritai team again.

·       Liz Knowles will take the year 1 class in room 4 replacing Margs Mills who resigned in the term 3 school holidays.

·       Sarah Richardson is moving to being full-time Masters student at University next year and Lisa Allen replaces her as our Learning Support teacher.

Whew – there goes…we have a few changes, but in all that only Jordana is actually new to Muritai – the rest we know very well, and they know Muritai extremely well. This provides strong levels of continuity but also some difference.

So the 2016 line Teacher / Classroom lineup looks like this – 
3 year 7-8 classes of 20-22 – Annette Borgonje/Ruth Hooke, Carl Woodhams, Melissa Coton
5 year 5-6 classes of 27-28 – Deane McKay, Julie Small, Michelle Hollard, Carol Algar, Jordana Phillips

2 year 4 classes of 20-21 - Richard Dobson, Karen Chao,

1 year 3-4 class of 21 – Jess Savage

2 year 3 classes of 22 – Mikaela Cody, Hayley Skilton
2 year 2 classes of 24 – Morag Roberts, Janelle McKay

2 year 1 classes of 20-21 – Liz Knowles, Barbara Ryan
2 new entrant classes starting with Maureen Buckley and then Liz Sullivan in June. 

Learning Support = Lisa Allen, Gabrielle Heath (RR)

The TEACHING teams look like this –

Senior School = Annette Borgonje (AP), Carl Woodhams, Melissa Coton

Year 5-6 = Deane McKay (AP), Julie Small, Michelle Hollard, Carol Algar, Jordana Phillips

Year 3-4 = Hayley Skilton (AP), Mikaela Cody, Jess Savage, Richard Dobson, Karen Chao

Junior School = Maureen Buckley (AP), Morag Roberts, Janelle McKay, Liz Knowles, Barbara Ryan, Liz Sullivan

COMPOSITE CLASSES

I am occasionally asked about composite classes so here is a detailed explanation as to why composite classes operate at Muritai School.

It is a reality that composite classes play a part in the organisation of Muritai School as they do in most New Zealand schools. Composite classes seem to cause some concerns to parents who may not fully understand why schools have them. In 2016 we will be operating 10 / 18 composite age classes.

Composite classes is the term given when two year groups are placed together e.g. Y5/6, and they are very common in New Zealand schools. Some schools may have mainly straight classes (all one year group) and use composite classes at different levels when it is necessary to ensure student numbers are manageable and equitable in all classes. Other schools in New Zealand choose to have every class as a composite throughout the school. Muritai School has used a combination of both straight year classes and composite classes. All schools have different reasons for the structure they implement, but there is no evidence to prove that one or the other provides a BETTER academic environment. At Muritai we tend to run straights in the first 4 years if possible, and then composite from year 5/6 onwards. Our experience is that this model best suits our children.

It is an undisputed FACT that in any class there is a range of ability, maturity, interests and focus, with children working above, at or below their age and expected curriculum level. All classes regardless of whether they are composite or straight year groupings are based on recognising differences and not seeing students as the same; children are taught according to individual need, not age. Rather than the old fashioned notion that we teach the entire year group something just because of the year they are in, we have for a number of years taught according to identified needs.

New Zealand has led the way globally in teaching the individual student. Once teachers have established what the children’s learning needs are, they group them for instruction at a common level. So your child will participate in reading, writing and maths lessons in small ‘ability’ groups regardless of the structure of the classes. As your child’s learning needs change, they may change groups within the class. At other times it is important that children are grouped differently, sometimes socially so that they can experience working with different people in their class.

Early research by Vygotsky (1896 – 1934), showed that learning happens most effectively when a person is provided learning that is challenging at their own level. By following this concept, learning should never be boring because it is too easy and neither should it ever be too difficult so a child struggles. What this in effect means is that all classes, whether they are composite or not, will be operating groups at a variety of levels at the same time as part of the normal delivery of the curriculum.

There is not and never has been a set learning programme at each particular year level, rather there are expectations set at curriculum levels. It is also possible that a class, whether composite or same-year level, may have teaching and learning programmes that cover more than the one curriculum level. Teachers are very skilled at adapting a learning task in order for it to challenge one set of children while being achievable for others.

Socially older children in a composite class get more leadership opportunities and frequently build self-esteem, they become role models to the younger class mates, while often younger children aspire to do work like the older children in the class. Research has shown that in terms of benefits socially and for maturity, older children make positive gains in this arrangement.

As I have mentioned earlier in this newsletter, all classes (including composites) are formulated considering a total balance in each classroom considering social, behaviour, ability, gender, and age range etc. Children unfortunately do not enrol in school in nice tidy multiples of 29, 23 or even 18, which are the suggested MOE class sizes for New Zealand schools. Private or integrated schools are able to run straight classes because they can manage their roll and have waiting lists. Muritai can’t do this as we are a state school. By combining two year levels in one class, state schools can successfully keep class sizes at a manageable level. If only straight classes were only ever considered it is possible that one year group (in middle to senior school) could have 33 children in each class while another year group only has 22 children in each class. This also impacts greatly on staffing and to employ another staff member to cater for numbers is just not feasible.

Composites are not a cost saving exercise. In fact, because there is no difference in the academic opportunities children receive in either structure, it becomes very difficult to justify spending extra money just to have straight classes when we know it is the teacher who makes the biggest difference not the composite/straight organisation. There is evidence to support that, whether a child is in a straight class or a composite class, there will be no difference in overall academic progress. All published research backs this up…the biggest study, and most frequently referenced by Veenman (1995) found that there were no consistent differences in student achievement between multi-year and single-year classes. The overall median effect size for cognitive outcomes was 0.00. Therefore Veenman concluded that the academic performance of pupils in composites may “simply be no worse and simply no better” than that of pupils in single-age classes.

As an educational professional I am convinced composite classes are not something to be concerned about and structurally we have to have them due to inconsistent group numbers. The quality of the relationship between your child and their teacher has been proven to have a far greater impact on the learning that takes place. Our own renown NZ researcher John Hattie states from his research titled 'Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 MetaAnalyses Relating to Achievement' (2008), that it is in fact effective and pertinent feedback (ie: telling students what they have done well, positive reinforcement, and what they need to do to improve, corrective work, targets etc, as well as clarifying goals), that will have the biggest effect size (impact) on student learning.

I hope this clarifies any questions for those people who may have had concerns regarding composite classes.