February 2016
Information for Sponsor
ERO reviews of Partnership Schools/Kura Hourua
Background
The Agreement between the Crown and the Sponsor of a partnership school, Part 3, Clause 19.2 refers to ERO’s role in reviewing these schools. The provisions of Part 28 of the Education Act 1989 in relation to reviews conducted by the Chief Review Officer (and Review Officers appointed by the Chief Review Officer) apply to Sponsors of partnership schools. Section 327 of the Act includes a power of entry and inspection of any place occupied by the Sponsor.
ERO is contracted by the Ministry to conduct a School Readiness Review prior to the school’s opening. ERO does not publish this report. It provides the Ministry of Education with assurance that a new school has suitable planning, processes, systems and procedures in place for opening the school.
ERO will then carry out a New School Assurance Review (NSAR) once the school has been open for at least six months. This review is undertaken to specific terms of reference (set by the Ministry of Education). The report is designed to provide assurance to the Sponsor and the new school’s community that the school has undertaken suitable administration processes and curriculum preparation to meet the needs of its learners. Once confirmed this report is published on ERO’s website.
Accountability Review
The first full ERO review is undertaken early in the third year of the school’s operation, about 18 months after the NSAR. The contract specifies that ERO will review the school every three years. The purpose of the ERO review is to assure the Crown and the community that the partnership school is meeting its contractual requirements and has the capability to assess and improve student achievement.
Evaluation Framework
- To what extent is this School meeting its contractual requirements?
- Reporting against the performance standards (accuracy, evidence of progress).
- Attestation to legal compliance.
- To what extent does this School have the capability to assess and improve student outcomes/achievement?
- Capability to assess student achievement accurately [use of appropriate tools, including standardised tests, assessing and moderating against National Standards, assessment and moderation for the National Qualifications Framework, veracity, consistency and reliability of assessment data].
- Use of assessment information to plan learning strategies for students, to evaluate how well students are learning and to adapt the curriculum to meet students’ learning interests, needs, and abilities.
- Use of internal evaluation to regularly review its plans and approaches to ensure that its programmes and interventions are fit for purpose.
- Leaders have developed plans to set challenging targets for future achievement, have developed strategies to achieve the targets and have shown progress towards them.
What ERO will do
- Send a notification email to the Sponsor including information about the review process.
- Request that the Sponsor completes an attestation that the entity has met its legal obligations: Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists.
- The review coordinator will make contact with the Sponsor about four weeks before the review to discuss the process and answer any questions.
- The review team will work closely with the Sponsor and school leaders during the review to ensure that the information informing ERO’s judgements is accurate and reliable.
What the Sponsor will do
- Complete attestation against legal requirements before the review.
- Be available during the review and provide information and access to the premises as required.
- Facilitate discussions with professional leaders and other stakeholders as required.
What the Ministry of Education will do
- Provide a copy of the Agreement with the Sponsor and any reports provided by the Sponsor against the performance standards.
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Information for Sponsor