VILLA MARIA COLLEGE
Annual Report to Board of Trustees
Curriculum/Teaching and Learning
2014
Contents:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Introduction
Special character
NECA Achievement
National Standards
Student Review
Curriculum Years 7-10
Curriculum Years 11-13
Māori and Pasifika Student Achievement
Scholarship
Value Added Data
International Student Achievement
Other Groups of Student Achievement
Pedagogy
Professional Development
Pathways
Staffing
Resourcing
Faculty Goals
Conclusion and Next Steps
SECTION ONE: Introduction
The purpose of this report is to provide a snapshot of Student Learning and Achievement at Villa Maria
College during 2014. Previously, this report has been presented in the middle of the year as a
retrospective document. In 2014, the Assistant Principal (Curriculum) brought the reporting time forward
to February, with the understanding that it is more beneficial to have the information earlier. This year
the report is slightly later in its presentation (the beginning of Term Two). Its focus is on using the data
and findings of the previous year to address future steps forward. This report covers the 2014 academic
year and is compiled through synthesizing a wide range of evidence including:







2014 Annual Faculty Reports presented by the Head of Faculty at the end of Term 1, 2015; this is
detailed analysis by Heads of Faculties and Teachers in Charge of learning and achievement in
subject areas, identifying areas of strength and weakness and proposals for how this can be
improved in 2015
NZQA results for Villa Maria College students (Years 11 –13), 2015
NZQA statistics to compare achievement of Villa Maria College against other schools
Ministry of Education Benchmark Indicators (currently most recent statistics for 2013)
Ministry of Education ‘SchoolSMART’ data compiled each year to give a longitudinal perspective.
MidYis and SeLis feedback on ‘Value Added’ from the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM)
unit at Canterbury University (Year 11, 12 and 13)
National Standards data as generated by classroom teachers
Glossary
Office
365
Ultranet
KAMAR
Parent
Portal
Real-time
reporting
Derived
Grade
SAC
SLD
The new Learning Management System (LMS) which operates in the cloud, allowing
staff and student access 24/7. It reflects the school’s movement towards modern
learning practices.
The previous Learning Management System (LMS) that the College implemented in
2012. The school is gradually moving away from the Ultranet as Microsoft 365 and
KAMAR’s portal implementation offers more efficient means to share information
with our community and allows for collaborative practice for staff and student
learning.
The College’s Student Management System (SMS) which was implemented in 2014,
offering reliability and efficiency. KAMAR offers opportunities for staff to inquire
about the impact of their teaching on students learning and achievement.
KAMAR has parent and student portals which enable parents and students to access
real time information on student’s progress via the web.
Assessment results are reported and published online as assessment is completed.
When a student cannot sit an examination for reasons beyond their control, if there is
evidence of them meeting the standard they may be awarded a Derived Grade.
Special Assessment Conditions. Students with a long-term physical and learning
disability may apply for special assessment conditions. This includes extra time,
reader/writer, use of a laptop, separate accommodation. There are specific NZQA
processes that have to be followed for NCEA. We try to use the same conditions for
juniors who will be entitled to SAC so that they become used to this.
Specific Learning Disorder
SECTION TWO: Special Character(School Strategic Goal ‘Living the Mission
Statement’)
Faculties work to reflect and support the Special Character of Villa Maria College and to meet the
Bishop’s Goals of Special Character, Equal Opportunity and Equity as detailed in The Catholic Education
of School-Age Children. This reflects our Strategic Goal of Living the Mission Statement. During 2014
Faculties participated in Special Character Professional Development Workshops. Faculties also looked
at ways to incorporate the Special Character of Villa Maria into their day-to-day practice with varying
degrees of integration and success.
For many Faculties, Catholic values and ethos can not be separated from the principles and values in the
front-end of the New Zealand Curriculum. Catholic values are expressed through Faculty policies such as
open-entry to courses, working to value each student and striving to meet individual needs, recognising
and valuing diversity and also through the promotion of social justice and Mercy action. In Faculties,
such as Social Science a social justice lens acts as an over-all umbrella, in English and Drama themes are
chosen which take students on a journey of faith or which deal with issues of social justice, in
Technology an ethical understanding of waste reduction, environmental sustainability and balance is
practiced. In Health, the Māori concept of hauora views spirituality as being integral to one's well-being.
By encouraging students to develop empathy and understanding of other perspectives student’s gain a
deeper understanding of their own faith and beliefs.
Faculties are committed to ensuring the pastoral care of their students, of raising awareness of what it
means to be Catholic and building student knowledge of the Scriptures. Staff see their pastoral role as a
key responsibility in their teaching. For teachers the promotion of the School's Special Character is
evident in their role modelling. Working with individual students to meet their needs within their areas
of strength or developing areas which need attention enables students to reach their potential. Further,
by ensuring equal access to most subjects, the curriculum is accessible by all students.
Some Faculties find it more of a struggle to explicitly weave Villa Maria's Special Character into
Curriculum delivery, such as Mathematics. The recent purchase of Living the Gospel Values (a resource
looking at The New Zealand Curriculum, pedagogy and Catholic values), along with on-going professional
development is aimed at clarifying how the Special Character would ‘look’ in classes.
There are also some concerns about ensuring Villa Maria College develops good sustainable practice and
that, as the College moves towards digital technologies, it needs to ensure all students have equal
access to technology and that the school works to reduce environmental impact.
Next Steps



Focus on teaching through a Catholic lens in all classes
Tracking of students and their individual needs
Establishing community perceptions of needs by collecting community and whanau voice
SECTION THREE: NCEA ACHIEVEMENT (School Strategic Goal ‘Performance’)
Faculties have worked in a determined and focussed manner to ensure that the courses offered have
the potential for all students to achieve 14 credits whilst being aware of the needs of individual
students. Exceptional results characterised academic achievement at Villa Maria College during 2014.
Villa Maria’s expectation that all students work to their personal potential and stretch themselves to
achieve academic excellence enables students to meet the College’s mission statement:
Empowering each young woman to determine her potential, live Gospel values, confidently embrace lifelong learning and as a Mercy woman be inspired to make a difference.
Fig 1: VILLA MARIA LEVEL ONE NCEA ACHIEVEMENT 2014
Overall
Cohort
Number
%
Māori
Pasifika
Asian
Figs in bracket refer
to 2013
Figs in bold
student numbers
Figs in bold student
numbers
Figs in bold student numbers
Figs in brackets
refer to 2013
Not
Achieved
Achieved
Merit
Excellence
Totals
(8)
4
(22)
16
(64)
72
(41)
48
(135) 140
(6)
2.8%
(16.3) 11.4 %
(47.4) 51.4%
(30.1) 34.3%
16.7%
66.7%
16.7%
1
0
0
4 100%
0
3
0
3
6
7.6%
1
30.8%
61.5%
0
4
8
13
Four Year 11 students did not achieve Level One, 2014. These students had special learning needs and
were on Individualised Learning Plans and Level One was not the goal for them in 2014.
Fig 2: VILLA MARIA LEVEL TWO NCEA ACHIEVEMENT 2014
Overall Cohort
Number
%
Figs in brackets
Figs in brackets refer
to 2013
Not
Achieved
Achieved
(4)
4
(48)
46
Merit
(48)
Excellence
(38)
refer to 2013
(2.9)
3.1%
Māori
Pasifika
Asian
Figs in bold
Figs in bold student
Figs in bold student
student numbers
numbers
numbers
20%
2
14.3%
1
8.3%
1
(34.8) 40%
40%
4
71.4%
5
25%
3
45
(34.8) 35%
10%
1
14.3%
1
25%
3
33
(27.5) 25.8%
30%
3
0
41.6%
5
Totals
(138) 128
10
7
12
Four Year 12 students did not achieve Level Two, 2014. Two of these students had special learning
needs and were on Individualised Learning Plans, thus Level Two was not the goal for them in 2014.
Fig 3: VILLA MARIA LEVEL THREE NCEA ACHIEVEMENT 2014
Overall Cohort
Number
%
Figs in brackets refer
to 2013
Figs in brackets refer to
Māori
Pasifika
Asian
Figs in bold
Figs in bold student
student numbers
numbers
Figs in bold student numbers
2013
Not
Achieved
Achieved
Merit
Excellence
Totals
(3)
(41)
(32)
(25)
(101)
4
50
34
30
118
(3)
3.3%
14.3%
1
(40.6) 42.4%
(31.7) 28.8%
(24.8) 25.4%
14.3%
42.9%
28.5%
1 66.7%
3 22.2%
2 11.1%
7
6
2
1
9
11%
1
44.5%
33.3%
11.1%
4
3
1
9
Whilst four Year 13 students did not achieve Level Three, 2014, over half of the cohort gained a
Certificate endorsement. Similar results were evident for Māori and Asian students, however, Pasifika
achievement rates were comparatively lower.
Fig 4: VILLA MARIA LEVEL UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE 2014
Overall Cohort
Number
%
Māori
Pasifika
Asian
Figs in brackets refer
Figs in bold student
Figs in bold student
numbers
numbers
Figs in bold student
numbers
to 2013
Figs in brackets refer to
2013
Not
Achieved
Achieved
(9)
27
(8)
22.9%
(93)
91
(92)
77.1%
100%
0
11.1%
1
44.4%
4
7
88.9%
8
55.6%
5
2014 saw the introduction of new, more rigorous requirements for University Entrance. Students
seeking entrance to University require NCEA Level 3 consisting of three Level 3 subjects, made up of 14
credits each, a Literacy component (10 credits at Level 2 or above, including 5 credits in reading and 5
credits in writing) and a Numeracy component 10 credits at Level One). This clearly affected Villa
Maria’s results, and indeed the results of schools throughout New Zealand. A small number of students
did not complete Level 2 English last year, due to acceleration in other subjects and are expected to gain
University Entrance this year. These girls will have influenced the above statistic.
Fig 5: VILLA MARIA LEVEL UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE 2011-2013 BY ETHNICITY
Ethnic group
Below UE standard
UE standard or above Percentage with UE standard
or above
2011
2012 2013
2011 2012
2013
2011
2012
2013
Māori
0
5
5
6
9
3
100.0
64.3
37.5
Pasifika
x
2
2
x
3
5
x
60.0
71.4
Asian
1
0
0
7
6
6
87.5 100.0
100.0
European/Pākehā
16
15
13
100
97
80
86.2
86.6
86.0
Total
20
20
19
118
109
97
85.5
84.5
83.6
Analysis of Education Counts Ethnicity data for Villa Maria leavers illustrates the issues with analysing
such small population numbers. However, school trends over time indicate a discrepancy between
European/ Pākehā and Māori and Pasifika rates of achievement for University Entrance.
Fig 6: VILLA MARIA UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE 2011-2013 COMPARISONS
Comparison group
(Females)
Below UE standard
UE standard or above
Percentage with UE
standard or above
2011
2012
2013
2011
2012
2013 2011 2012 2013
Villa Maria College
20
20
19
118
109
97 85.5
84.5 83.6
Canterbury Region
1,388
1,480
1,431
2,044
1,975
2,119 59.6
57.2 59.7
Secondary
1,535
1,430
1,540
2,774
2,852
2,904 64.4
66.6 65.3
State: Integrated
866
752
781
2,583
2,584
2,826 74.9
77.5 78.3
Decile 09
949
918
890
2,549
2,569
2,490 72.9
73.7 73.7
New Zealand
14,080
12,967 13,792
16,241 16,700 17,158
53.6
56.3 55.4
Villa Maria continues to have achievement results in University Entrance which are significantly above
regional and National levels. The College’s students consistently outperform comparative Integrated
and Decile 9 girls.
Fig 7: School Profile (Based on participation) from NZQA
Year 11
gaining
NCEA L1
Year 12
gaining
NCEA L2
Year 13
gaining
NCEA L3
University
Entrance
Literacy
Numeracy
VMC
2010
NZ
2010
VMC
2011
NZ
2011
75
D9
Girls
2010
89.2
VMC
2012
NZ
2012
77.4
D9
Girls
2011
90.4
92.3
VMC
2013
NZ
2013
78.9
D9
Girls
2012
92.5
92.3
93.7
79.5
91.9
86.3
74.2
79.5
VMC
2014
NZ
2014
80.8
D9
Girls
2013
92.5
98.6
84.2
Dec 9
Girls
2014
94.1
99.3
96.2
96.2
82.1
92.8
96.6
83.6
94.4
97.1
84.3
93.5
96.9
88.3
95
86.0
97.5
75.7
83.4
94.8
76.0
86.8
94.2
77.7
86.9
92.5
80.7
90.0
66.7
82.7
92.5
67
84.4
90.5
67.3
84.3
89.4
69.1
83.3
75
61.6
80.5
96.5
81.7
93.6
98.6
85.8
95.3
98.7
82.3
92.6
97.8
88.3
91.5
98.6
90.6
97.6
97.2
89.0
91.8
98.6
88.7
94.6
100
80.6
95.8
97.0
81.4
91.2
97.1
88.2
97.6
Participation figures from NZQA, as in the above table, are based on those students who enrolled in the
standards reported on. Villa Maria consistently punches above its weight. The drop in 2014 in University
Entrance is worthy of note and needs careful monitoring, however there may be a number of reasons for
this, e.g. better vocational counselling and students setting goals which do not include University. The
acceleration of five girls in Year 12 last year probably also had an impact. Interestingly, Villa Maria’s Level
3 attainment rate has not shown a statistically significant or comparable reduction.
Fig 8: Comparison of Christchurch Girls Schools’ Achievement 2014 based on NZQA Roll Based
Percentage Data
This data is generated on the basis of our 1 July roll, thus some the figures are slightly different to those
above.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
University
Entrance
VMC 2014
93.2
93.9
91.7
74.4
NZ 2014
72.5
75.4
60.2
45.9
Dec 9 2014
91.1
89.0
84.5
75.3
Rangi Ruru
97.3
98.4
97.4
96.6
SMC
98.1
73.0
86.4
82.5
Marian
94.9
94
80.7
66.7
Villa Maria continues to maintain high levels of achievement. Often small changes in the percentage of
students achieving at various levels comes down to one or two students. At some year levels we have a
number of students for whom the corresponding NCEA was not the goal. These students are still entered
in NCEA as they are working towards different aspects of the qualification.
Fig 9: Longitudinal tracking of NCEA Certificate Endorsements from NZQA
Endorsed
VMC NZ
Dec
Certificates 2010 2010 9
Girls
2010
Level
1 18.2 9.1
18.0
Excellence
Level
1 54.5 24.4 46.4
Merit
Level
2 12.7 6.5
13.4
Excellence
Level
2 32.1 20.2 32.9
Merit
Level
3 7.9
5.2
7.9
Excellence
Level
3 22.8 22.4 33.7
Merit
VMC NZ
Dec VMC NZ
2011 2011 9
2012 2012
Girls
2011
29.8 13.2 27.9 26.8 15.1
Dec VMC NZ
9
2013 2013
Girls
2012
27.3 32.3 17.2
D9
VMC NZ
Dec
Girls 2014 2014 9
2013
Girls
29.9
35.3
17.8
33.3
39.7
32.4
46.5
52.3
34.7
47.2
50.4
35.2
44.8
52.9
35.0
46.4
15.9
7.8
16.9
28.7
11.9
22.4
28.4
13.1
21.7
26.6
14.2
25.7
37.3
25.1
44.6
29.6
26.4
41.1
35.8
27.2
39.8
36.3
26.8
41.1
13.7
7.4
17.6
13.6
8.3
11.8
25.5
11.4
15.4
26.8
12.7
17.8
35.0
26
40.7
32.7
24.3
34.9
32.7
29.0
38.4
30.4
28.8
45.2
To achieve an Endorsed Certificate, students must gain 50 credits at Excellence or Merit at the respective
NCEA Level. It is important to track each cohort across time, for example the highlighted figures above
track last year’s Year 13 cohort. Over time, an increase in the number of excellence endorsements from
L1 to L2 and from L2 to L3 is evident. Course Endorsements are awarded to students who achieve 14
credits at merit/excellence in a course or subject. There is also a requirement that at least three credits
be obtained in internal assessment and at least three in external assessment. Course endorsements
provide an opportunity for students who may not be academically strong enough to gain an endorsed
certificate to receive recognition in their particular areas of strength.
Fig 10: College Academic Awards
L1 Gold
L1 Silver
L2 Gold
L2 Silver
L3 Gold
2011
21
9
11
7
2012
18
8
20
13
2013
21
8
23
14
2014
20
16
19
11
14
It is significant that over 50% of students in each year level consistently achieve endorsed certificates. Villa
Maria College’s Academic Awards recognize students who achieve academic excellence and encourage
girls to strive academically. These awards have benchmarks which are higher than National Standards and
positively impact on student achievement. 2014 saw the introduction of a Gold Award for the Year 13.
Figure 11: 2014 Literacy and University Comparison to New Zealand Catholic Girls’ Schools (NZQA and
Benchmark Indicators)
School
Name
VMC
Carmel
College
Baradene
Region
Decile
Roll
747
1049
Māori
%
8.0
6.4
Pasifika
%
4.4
4.7
Asian
%
6.2
17.1
Christchurch
Auckland
9
10
Auckland
9
1061
9.3
8.2
Sacred
Heart
St.
Mary’s
New
Plymouth
Wellington
8
694
13.7
9
624
11.7
Literacy
Numeracy
98.6
98.7
97.1
98.7
8.6
100
99.4
2.4
3.9
100
100
14.6
15.4
100
100
Villa Maria achievement rates for Level 2 Literacy and Level 1 Numeracy (the literacy and numeracy
requirements for University Entrance), indicate that we compare favourably to other Catholic Girls’
Schools across the country. It is difficult to draw conclusions based on this data. One student being
entered could make all the difference in these statistics, and with Villa’s policy of opening access to all
students and enrolling students for whom NCEA Level 2 may be a two year outcome could explain these
differences.
Figure 12: 2014 NCEA Comparisons to New Zealand Catholic Girls’ Schools (NZQA and Benchmark
Indicators)
School
Name
VMC
Carmel
College
Baradene
Sacred
Heart
St.
Mary’s
NCEA NCEA
NCEA
NCEA NCEA NCEA NCEA
NCEA NCEA UE
Schol
L1
98.6
97.4
L1 M
52.9
46.6
L1 E
35.3
36.5
L2
96.9
98.6
L2 M
36.3
38.6
L2 E
26.6
37.9
L3
92.6
98.5
L3 M
30.4
44.0
L3 E
26.8
25.4
75.2
87.5
5
33
98.2
99
42.7
52.5
52.4
22.8
99.4
97.9
39.7
44.7
46.8
17.0
97.5
85.7
38.8
41.7
40.5
11.9
92.4
77.6
20
4
97.3
49.1
21.3
95.9
39.3
21.4
79.8
34.9
18.1
20.3
5
Merit and Excellence rates at Level One are in the top half of the schools sampled. A slight drop in
Achievement levels for Merit and Excellence is evident at Level Two and appears to follow through to
Level 3.
At-risk Students
Student progress is closely monitored by staff, Heads of Houses, Head of Faculties and the Assistant
Principal (Curriculum). Students at-risk of not achieving NCEA or NCEA requirements are identified
through regular ongoing monitoring e.g. student course selection carefully considers potential tertiary
pathways and those who require literacy and numeracy are identified and counselled. KAMAR
capabilities to identify and track students at-risk is an area which will be a focus for 2015.
Comments
HOFs and Departments are using data to analyse previous years’ achievement. Some Departments and
Faculties are starting to break this down to deeper analysis, such as performance on individual
achievement standards. The College needs to use data to inform practice not just describe results
retrospectively. In future years, greater focus on longitudinal tracking of student performance for both
individual students and performance in specific achievement standards will be a key focus.
The shift in policy to ensuring students achieved 14 credits has clearly had benefits with every Faculty
articulating this as a goal for students. In turn this is reflected in Villa Marias exemplary results for NCEA
achievement. We are clearly 'getting girls over the line' and meeting Ministry of Education Goal of
ensuring 85% of 18 year olds are achieving Level 2 by 2017
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/TheMinistry/BetterPublicServices/BPSYoungPeople
WEB.pdf
Faculties have a clear, articulated focus on students achieving 14 credits in each subject. There is an
expressed desire for students to raise their Merit and Excellence Endorsement levels, greater focus on
how this may be achieved and the tracking of students towards course endorsements may aid the
achievement of this goal.
Data analysis in some Faculties reveals that there are discrepancies between our high levels of students
gaining NCEA and those students who are achieving Merit and Excellence endorsements. Where disparity
exists between Decile 9 girls and Villa Maria, it is frequently at this point. A shift in focus to reducing the
number of assessments in a subject would assist in raising a learning and pedagogical focus (that is, how can we best
modify delivery methods improve student learning) and improved results for Course and Endorsed Certificates. By
encouraging the girls to stretch, and working to ensure they are challenged and work purposefully and
smartly to achieve merit and excellence grades, Faculties can work to raise achievement.
A small number of courses do not offer endorsement as an option. This is due to the choice of
achievement standard, i.e. subjects choose not to offer external standards when there are options
available. This reduces students’ opportunities to gain Course Endorsements. Typically, students achieve
better in internal assessments than external, however, this is not always the case (e.g. in Technology
students achieve better externally than internally).
Data has been reported by Faculties to highlight the performance of priority Pasifika and Māori
students. Future foci will be on generating comparative data with an aim to reducing and eliminating
ethnic disparity in achievement. Endorsement rates are a particular area where Māori and Pasifika
achievement can be improved comparatively.
Variation exists amongst HOFs in their approach to analysis of NCEA data from previous years.
Investigating trends in assessment standards and identifying ways that delivery methods can be altered
to improve engagement and impact positively on learning is good practice and to be encouraged in
future reports.
A number of subjects include statements regarding students 'opting' out or 'choosing' not to complete
standards. This applied to the completion of both internal and external achievement standards. Given
the number of standards students are accumulating, regularly well in excess of what is required to gain
Endorsements and NCEA, and comments about the timing of assessment there may be other factors at
play. Further discussion around Villa Maria's Assessment Policy and this practice are needed.
Completion is voluntary - possibly reflecting in part the large number of credits students are entered in -
and students opt out of completion of work. Discussion around a compulsory completion policy may
address this issue. Further discussion around the timing of assessment, placing maximum credits
offered/course, assessing when students are ready, and the nature of assessment and assessment
conditions will allow Villa Maria to develop programmes which enable students to achieve and
demonstrate their individual potential. Thereby we will create a more individualised programme of
learning which meets each student’s needs.
Next steps
 Consideration of Course structure to ensure endorsements are available in all subjects wherever
possible
 Ensuring every department uses meaningful data to analyse student performance (percentages)
 Longitudinal tracking of individual students to measure improvement and student growth over
their time at Vila Maria
 Longitudinal tracking of data within Departments and Faculties to identify areas within a subject
for potential growth in achievement and professional development
 Comparative tracking of Māori and Pasifika students to reduce disparity
 Increasing identification and measurement of SENs to ensure SENs achieve to their potential
 Developing evidence-based targets for each Department based on performance in previous
years
 Identifying, implementing intervention and measuring success to raise achievement levels,
ensuring students stretch, that is, from Achieved to Merit and Merit to Excellence
 Clarification of grade boundaries through formal and informal external moderation
 Comparison of internal and external successes
 Discussion of policy and practice of voiding papers
 Data collection of completion and voiding statistics
Communication with Parents Regarding Progress:
2014 was the last year formal written reports were completed as per the College reporting cycle. Effort
and Attitude reports were emailed home three times each term to give parents and students a snapshot
of teacher impression of student work habits. Head of Houses also made contact with home after the
College examinations for at-risk students. The majority of students on this list were contacted. At the end
of Terms 2, 3 and before seniors leave for study leave a detailed analysis of numbers of credits obtained
was generated through KAMAR. Names of students causing concern were passed to Heads of House and
Heads of Faculty were also informed.
Next steps:




Development of Parent education programmes and information regarding the Parent portal
Evaluation of Parent portal
Parents involvement in Goal setting and next Steps for Learning (identifying for parents how
they can help make a difference and support their daughters at home and school in their
learning journeys)
KAMAR developed to identify at-risk students in a timely manner
SECTION FOUR: NATIONAL STANDARDS
Through Villa Maria’s National Standards reporting, students and parents can clearly identify where
students are at in terms of their reading, writing and mathematics learning. Even if students do not
achieve the National Standard, it is still evident where progress has been made. During 2014, Villa Maria
worked towards adopting a consistent system in all reporting which was beneficial. Linking National
Standard achievement to curriculum levels provides useful and meaningful feedback for parents.
Moderation work continued in 2014, with Villa Maria Intermediate teachers working with St. Albans
Catholic, St Mary’s and St. Patrick’s to ensure the College’s judgements were being made in line with
other schools. During 2014 multiple teachers were involved in making individual student OTJs.
National Standards have been generated from triangulated data, E-asttle testing, PAT testing, End of
topic assessments as well as Overall Teacher Judgement (OTJs). By the end of the year in Year 7,
students should be working at the early stages of Level 4 of the New Zealand Curriculum. By the end of
the year in Year 8, students should be working proficiently at Level 4 of the New Zealand Curriculum.
Writing
EOY Year 7, 20 students were working above the standard, 13 at the standard, 9 below
EOY Year 8, 19 students were working above the standard, 14 at the standard, 4 below
EOY Year 8, 2 Maori students were working at the standard and 4 were working towards
the standard
EOY Year 8, our Pasifika student was working above the standard
Reading
EOY Year 7, 25 students were working above the standard, 14 at the standard, 3 below
EOY Year 8, 21 students were working above the standard, 15 at the standard, 1 below
EOY Year 8, 2 Maori student were working towards the standard and 4 were below the standard
EOY Year 8, our Pasifika student was working above the standard
Mathematics
EOY Year 7, 16 students were working above the standard, 8 at the standard, 18 below
EOY Year 8, 14 students were working above the standard, 10 at the standard, 13 below
EOY Year 8, 3 Maori students were working at the standard and 3 students were working below
EOY Year 8, our Pasifika student was working above the standard
Over 2014, Villa Maria had significant shifts in Mathematics, Reading and Writing in Year 8. In 2014, the
data for students at the end of Year 7 showed: 92.9% of students were at or above their national level in
Reading, 78.6% at or above in Writing, 57.1% at or above in Mathematics. The data for students at the
end of Year 8 showed: 97.3% of students were at or above their national level in Reading, 89.2% at or
above in Writing, 64.9% at or above in Mathematics. All students have been shown to have made
progress in the course of the year even if they did not meet the expected curriculum level.
We need to ensure that reporting continues to develop through KAMAR and that the school plans for
actions to lift achievement. Reporting needs to be clear and relevant to parents whilst remaining
manageable for staff.
Next steps:


Refinement of reporting system
Teacher-as-Inquiry into Mathematics and Numeracy in Years 7-8
SECTION FIVE: STUDENT REVIEW
Hattie has demonstrated that the greatest shifts in learning occur when students understand learning
intentions, are challenged, develop a range of learning strategies, know when they are not progressing,
seek feedback and visibly teach themselves. In order for this to occur at Villa Maria the College must
work to ensure students take ownership of their learning, that they critically and purposefully interact
with the learning in their classroom. Gathering and using Student Voice is an important determiner.
Faculties frequently report anecdotally on student responses to programmes e.g. Arts, Religious Studies.
Whilst one measure of collecting student voice, other quantifiable means would complement these
discussions. In 2014 some teachers were starting to use Interlead to gather student evaluations. As at
the end of 2014 these were for personal reflection for the teacher. One HOF is interested in
incorporating a way to use this data in the professional development within the Department and this
would reflect best practice.
Next steps:




Faculties explicitly stating next steps for learning
Student ownership
Discussion around ways to report learning and engage students and whanau in the process.
Increased collection and use of student voice
SECTION SIX: REVIEW OF YEARS 7-10
Curriculum
In the Junior School, Faculties are working to develop programmes which are responsive to student
needs and which work to engage and extend student learning. Some Faculties are reducing the number
of assessments to increase teaching, e.g. in PE to ensure the girls are active.
Good examples of integrative practice with digital technologies is evident. Faculties and teachers are
working to utilise digital technologies into their classrooms and programmes, e.g. in the Intermediate
level students complete a PowerPoint in Physical Education. The TIC of the Junior School is working
towards greater implementation of OneNote in the Department. Further examples are evident in Years
9-10; Languages have a greater shift of emphasis to holistic assessment and students in the Junior
School are experimenting with different apps (quizlet, kahoot, i-movie, pinterest, language perfect,
padlet). Digital recording on phones, ipads are successful in Languages and English and provide a means
of feedback on student performance.
Frequently, Faculty Reports tend to focus on describing the assessment completed in Years 7-10, rather
than the learning. In some Faculties a shift from content to skills is evident, however, many still focus on
the acquisition of knowledge and assessment as the focus.
Reporting
In Years 7-10, Faculties are developing the means to report on student learning and assessment in the
Junior School. As indicated previously, the staff in the Intermediate Department continue to look
towards ways to report meaningfully on National Standards. At present across all levels in the Junior
school there is variance in reporting on Learning and Assessment. Some Faculties use the Key
Competencies (e.g. Physical Education), others report using Achievement Standard grades (e.g. Religious
Studies), whilst others curriculum levels (e.g. English, Drama and increasingly Technology). By reporting
against Curriculum levels, learning may be reported year-to-year and student weaknesses and next steps
in learning are easier to identify. As well as utilising the parent portal, increased use of text and email as
a means of communication with students and families is evident in many classes.
Next steps:







Greater curriculum and assessment seamlessness between Year 7-10
Implementation of National Standards Reporting for Years 7-8
Development of a centralised and uniform means of reporting student progress which reflects
the level of Curriculum Achievement and learning as well as achievement on assessment
Discussion around Key Competencies and learning behaviours as a means to direct and record
learning
Creating a uniformity of vision around learning and movement towards clarity of how we are
assessing and why
Educating parents about what learning and reporting looks like at Villa Maria
Developing independent thinkers who visibly learn by adopting a range of learning strategies for
challenging tasks and who seek assistance when required
SECTION SEVEN: REVIEW OF YEARS 11-13
The Senior School Programme is diverse and staffed by passionate teachers who work determinedly to
produce solid results. These are discussed in detail earlier in the document. Issues which came through
the Faculty Reports are identified below.
Teaching and Learning
Pedagogical practices in the Senior School enable classes and other learning groups to work as caring,
inclusive, and cohesive learning communities. In some Faculties different courses are developed to meet
individual student needs e.g. Core PE and internal English. Likewise some Faculties, such as PE and
Religious Studies, are increasingly becoming aware of how access to University Entrance literacy can be
accessed through their courses. Other Faculties are utilising cross curricular means to assess e.g. Media
use work from English and Religious Studies in their classroom teaching and assessment, ESL works
closely with other curriculum areas such as Mathematics to ensure girls’ success.
Literacy
HOFs are aware that achievement in many subjects is linked to literacy and high-order thinking skills.
This reflects the New Zealand Curriculum position that literacy is a cross-curricular skill. Literacy and
numeracy are no longer simply the domains of Mathematics and English but can be acquired from a
variety of subject areas. Villa Maria students are required to read and understand texts, construct texts
appropriate to specific subject areas and to think about, discuss, interact with, and use these texts in
subject-specific ways. Increasingly, the multimodal nature of many texts requires our students to be
able to make meaning using print, visuals, sound, space, and movement and do so in ways consistent
with the learning area in which the texts are used. The importance of developing students’
independent and critical thinking skills is a prerequisite for Level 3 Achievement and for success beyond
school. Literacy levels are a barrier to achievement in a number of subjects e.g. Digital Technologies.
Increasingly, faculties are looking at ways they can meet students’ literacy needs in a holistic manner,
e.g. in Religious Education students are able to gain Writing credits for University Entrance.
Formative Assessment
HOFs recognise student achievement in terms of learning as well as achievement outcomes. Some
Faculties are making more explicit use of formative assessment to guide students' next steps in learning
e.g. English feedback and feedforward for girls learning, German uses OneNote to give feedback on
essay writing, Art History use email to provide students with feedforward. Faculties investigating how
feedback/feedforward can be used to direct learning will assist in shifting focus from assessment to
learning.
Completion
Every Faculty mentions how students ‘opt out’ or ‘choose’ not to compete Assessment. The prevalence
and acceptance of this explanation is a concern. Resilience and independent thinking skills are
challenging but vital skills for the girls to acquire in order to participate and contribute successfully in
twenty-first century communities. Opting out of assessment is concerning. There is some anecdotal
evidence that due to the level of pressure students are under and the perceived pressure to complete
assessments pushes students to choose highly structured, teacher-directed courses. Villa Maria has a
policy that all assessment is completed and yet, in practice, teachers are accepting of non-completion.
Not Achieved’s are frequently explained as students who haven’t completed work. Lack of engagement,
pastoral issues, rationalizing or number ‘crunching’, access to the assessment in terms of preparedness,
timing of assessment, pressure of a number of assessments are potentially some reasons for noncompletion. Potentially, developing courses for individual students may mean students sitting different
assessment. Assessment anytime, anywhere suggests just that. Villa Maria needs to carefully consider
why girls are ‘opting out’ and how this can or should be managed. We need greater focus on how
teaching programmes, delivery and authentic contexts may increase student engagement and
achievement.
Authentic and contextualised learning
It is evident that teachers and HOFs reflect on achievement from year-to-year in their planning and that
Faculties are responsive to their students and their needs in their programming. Providing contextual
and authentic learning outside of the classroom was a key feature in a number of Subject areas; Social
Sciences (Ferrymead, Kaikoura, Wellington), Languages (Tahiti, Yvres, New Caledonia, German, Japanese
exchanges) and Religious Studies (volunteering at Ronald McDonald House, food drive, baking for
Princess Margaret patients). In other subjects, such as Physical Education, Computing and Digital
Technology students are actively involved in designing and producing creative digitally-based
assessments and projects. In these Departments student-centred, authentic learning in ethical contexts
occurs. Learning outcomes are established in terms of student outcomes and fit the Mercy vision of
making a difference.
Moderation
Following the 2011 MNA report, Internal and External moderation practices have been closely
monitored and a systematic approach towards ensuring moderation is occurring in a reliable and robust
manner has been put in place. However, some Faculties express a slight uncertainty about where the
Grade Boundaries are and disparity between Internal and External National results may reflect, in some
case, issues around clarity of where grade boundaries lie. Ongoing development and self-review of
Villa Maria’s internal and external moderation procedures are important. By considering how we will
use electronic means for moderation.
Next steps









Development of a Graduate Profile
Continued shift to view literacy as cross curricular concern and to develop the means to improve
literacy skills within subjects
Assessment Calendar
Clarify understandings between HOFs, teachers and NZQA
Develop cross-curricular links to reduce assessment pressure
Curriculum Course Outlines which detail learning objectives, credits offered and when assessed
Maximum numbers of standards per course/student
Delivery of computer science and digital technology needs discussion
Developing feedback and feedforward processes at Villa Maria by increasing the use of
formative assessment
SECTION EIGHT: MĀORI AND PASIFIKA ACHIEVEMENT
Fig 13: Villa Maria School leavers with at least NCEA level 2 or equivalent by ethnic group and gender (2011-2013)
Ethnic group
Below NCEA level 2
NCEA level 2 or above
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or
above
2011
2012
2013
2011
2012
2013
2011
2012
2013
0
x
0
4
5
3
1
0
7
10
1
0
0
2
3
6
x
8
112
133
11
4
6
105
119
7
7
6
91
113
100.0
x
100.0
96.6
96.4
78.6
80.0
100.0
93.8
92.2
87.5
100.0
100.0
97.8
97.4
Māori
Pasifika
Asian
European/Pākehā
Total
Villa Maria has met the Ministry goal of 85% of students leaving school with NCEA Level 2. Maori and
Pasifika meet this goal annually. There is some disparity in Māori figures with fewer Māori leaving with
NCEA Level 2. Teachers are keen to develop a greater understanding of how Māori and Pasifika
students learn. There is a willingness to transfer this learning into their class programmes with some
Faculties devoting time to sharing readings and resources which highlight Māori and Pasifika
achievement.
(i)
Māori
Curriculum
Māori tikanga and te reo are integrated into a number of subjects; in English text choice frequently
includes Māori authors and the Key Competencies are displayed in te Reo. In Year 9, all students
complete a te Ao modular course in Social Studies which introduces the Māori world. In Drama, a focus
on indigenous cultures, within and beyond the New Zealand context, develops an empathy for cultural
issues. Religious Studies Teacher Manuals include Māori spirituality and identify Pasifika practices. In
the Arts Faculty, a key professional learning focus in 2015 is for teachers to do more reading of how
cultural differences manifest in the students in the classroom and how staff can adapt to be more
culturally inclusive and responsive, for example through accurate pronunciation of te Reo, girls’ names
and ensuring classrooms are welcoming. These practices will aid in embedding culturally responsive
practices in our classrooms.
Achievement
Figure 14: Overall Levels of Achievement for Māori Students
Year 11
Year 12
Year 13
Total
2014
2013 Māori
2012 Māori
2011 Māori
2009 Māori
2008 Māori
2007 Māori
2006 Māori
No./Achieved
5 5
9 7
9 5
23 17
No./Achieved
12 11
13 12
7
5
32 28
No./Achieved
19
19
9
8
12
10
40
37
No./Achieved
10
7
12 11
10
9
32
27
No./Achieved
14 14
13 13
7 7
34 34
No./ achieved
13 12
8
8
9
8
30
28
No./Achieved
7
7
7
6
9
6
23 19
No./Achieved
9
7
7
6
3
2
19 15
Year 11
All five Year 11 Māori students achieved Level One in 2014. Four with a Merit Endorsement and one
with an Excellence endorsement.
Year 12
In Year 12, nine girls identified as Māori on the school roll. Seven gained NCEA Level 2. One with a Merit
Endorsement and three with an Excellence endorsement. Seven girls achieved University Entrance
Literacy.
Year 13
Nine Māori girls sat Level 3 NCEA in 2014. 5 gained NCEA Level 3, three with a Merit Endorsement and
two with an Excellence Endorsement. Six of the nine students gained University Entrance.
Analysis
Faculties are focussed on raising the achievement of priority learners, especially Māori and Pasifika.
Identification of priority learners allows teachers to track individual achievement. In some classes
teachers are starting to adapt classroom activities to meet the needs of students in their classes.
Analysis of Māori students indicates that there are some discrepancies in achievement with non-Māori
counterparts. Generally Māori students have higher levels of non-achievement, and, whilst there are
equivalent proportions of students achieving NCEA at various levels, Māori students are proportionally
underrepresented in Merit and Excellence endorsements.
A note of caution; low numbers of students can cause issues around statistical analysis. Setting goals
which reflect Villa Maria’s lower numbers of Māori students may be more meaningful, for example,
every student achieves or in watching trends over time or working to reduce deficit or culturally
unsound explanations for non-achievement.
(ii)
Pasifika students
Curriculum
Pasifika students are well catered for in a number of Faculties, with many, such as Physical Education,
offering extra tuition and one-on-one tutorials e.g. PE. During 2014 a Pasifika Homework Club ran on
Tuesday afternoons to support Pasifika girls with their studies.
Achievement
Fig 15: Overall Pasifika Levels of Achievement
2014
2013 Pasifika 2012 Pasifika 2011 Pasifika 2009 Pasifika 2008 Pasifika
No./Achieved No./Achieved No./Achieved No./Achieved No./Achieved No./Achieved
Year 11 2 2
5
4
8
8
8
7
2 2
1
1
Year 12
7 6
10
10
6
6
1
1
1 1
2
1
Year 13
7 6
5
5
0
1
2
2
2 1
6
4
Total
16 14
20
19
14 15
Year 11
Both Pasifika students achieved Level 1 with a Merit Course endorsement.
Year 12
One girl did not achieve Level 2 but is likely to achieve that this year. Of the six girls who achieved Level
2, one achieved with a Merit Course endorsement. Of the seven girls, four achieved University Entrance
Literacy.
Year 13
Of the seven Pasifika girls who sat Level 3 NCEA in 2014, six students achieved Level 3 NCEA. The one
student who didn’t achieve Level 3, NCEA did gain the University Entrance Literacy requirement. The
other six students also gained University Entrance.
Analysis
Pasifika students appear to have lower levels of achievement in Course Endorsements. Whilst Pasifika
students are ‘getting over the line’, there is still room to raise levels of achievement in Merit and
Excellence in subjects. Pasifika students appear to perform better on internal assessments than external
assessments, possibly due to the higher levels of support and scaffolding in the classroom.
NEXT STEPS




Professional Development promotes delivery methods which engage Māori and Pasifika
students, centred around Māori Achieving Success as Māori
Longitudinal tracking of Māori and Pasifika achievement to gain a clearer picture of performance
Data collection of graduates, both destinations and outcomes
Māori and Pasifika achievement mirrors the school population
SECTION NINE: SCHOLARSHIP
The New Zealand Scholarship continue to be the exemplary Award for Academic excellence in New
Zealand. In 2014, there were five Scholarships awarded at villa Maria; two in Drama and one student
gained three scholarships (Physics, Calculus and Statistics).
Figure 16: Scholarship Statistics (NZQA)
CGHS
Number of
Scholarships
Number of
students on
July 1
Percentage of
cohort
15
VMC VMC VMC
2014 2013 2012
VMC VMC
2011 2010
VMC
2009
VMC
2008
VMC
2007
VMC
2006
VMC
2005
5
11
10
12
1
6
6
4
9
10
133
102
115
129
111
115
100
121
108
117
3.8
10.8
8.9
9.3
.9
5.2
6
3.3
6.48
9.0
Scholarship is a voluntary examination sat at the end of the academic year. Individual faculties identify able
candidates and encourage them to consider the additional challenge and workload. In the past, extra time
for staffing was allocated to most Faculties. This changed in 2014 with the advent of the 5 day timetable.
There are now no scholarship hours allocated and preparing students for scholarship is voluntary.
Scholarship was not offered in 2014 in some faculties (Physical Education, Languages and the preparation
of students in others was limited. Teachers give additional time to tutor these students e.g. Mathematics
has a particularly passionate teacher who is developing a cluster of Catholic School students working
towards Scholarship. The demands of preparing students for Scholarship are high. Scholarship therefore
continues to be in a state of flux. It is something that the Upper Riccarton Cluster has attempted to look at
and work together on (with limited success.)
NEXT STEPS

Discussion around the importance and relevance of promoting Scholarship at Villa Maria
SECTION TEN: VALUE ADDED DATA
Fig 17: MidYis9, 2014
Analysis
One of the main
sources of data that
we have about our
junior students is
their MidYis Banding
from the CEM Centre
at the University of
Canterbury. This
assessment provides a
useful snapshot about
the cohort and is
based on
mathematics,
vocabulary, nonverbal and skills.
From this snapshot
our students enter
Villa Maria with a
sound basis in a
number of skills and
subjects.
Next steps:

Greater
triangulating of data
to make meaningful decisions
Fig 18: SeLis 2014
Analysis
CEM assessment appears
to indicate that there is
room for improvement
across and within a number
of subject areas.
Next Steps:
 Creating
meaningful
pathways for students
 Collection of AREA data
SECTION ELEVEN: INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
Of the 13 senior International students enrolled for full-time study at Villa Maria, six International
students sat N.C.E.A. in 2014.
Of these students one achieved Level 3, two achieved Level 2 (both with Excellence course
endorsements) and two achieved Level 1 (one with an Excellence Course endorsement and one with a
Merit course endorsement). The other student, a Year 12 student, achieved 24 L3 credits, 44 L2 credits
and 64 L1 credits). She also gained University Entrance Numeracy. Two students gained University
Entrance Literacy.
Next steps:


Testing of International students’ literacy when they enter Villa Maria College to establish skills
levels in Literacy and Numeracy and aid in developing appropriate courses to meet individual
needs
Promotion of Academic value of attending Villa Maria for International students
SECTION TWELVE: INCLUSIVE LEARNING
Learning Support
Students with learning needs are well supported at Villa Maria. The development of Individualised
Educational Programmes (IEPs) see SENs integrated into classes throughout the school, reflecting the
Catholic ethos of curriculum accessibility for all students. Students who operate at Level 1 and 2 of the
curriculum are supported through Learning Support and teacher aides. SENs are identified by tags on
teacher rolls.
Continued work to integrate Learning Support Students who require extra support in classes is put in
place by the Learning Support Department. This is preferable to students being removed from classes
for specialist tuition. In the future, we need to work on ensuring these skills and strategies are
communicated to the teacher so that they can be applied in the classroom.
Next steps:




IEPs are being transferred to KAMAR
IEPs modified to reflect Key Competencies and learning skills
Teachers taking greater in class responsibility of meeting SENs needs in class through
differentiated programmes
Identification of double exceptional students
Gifted and Talented Students
A new Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator was appointed in 2014. Gifted and talented students are
catered to through differentiated learning in the classroom and extra-curricular enrichment activities.
Acceleration occurred across a few subjects in 2014 for students who needed an extra academic
challenge e.g. English, and Visual Arts and te Reo. In te Reo, more capable students in Years 9-10 were
given the opportunity to sit NCEA assessments (whakaronga tasks). Students with high academic ability
across the main curriculum areas have been identified through standardised test scores consistently in
stanine 8-9 (CEM entrance test and PAT). Some students have been added to the register through
teacher or school referral to appraise giftedness and self-referral for extension opportunities.
Next steps:





Development of Gifted and Talented Policy and procedures
Professional Learning with co-ordinator and staff of Gifted and Talented student needs
Mentorship of GATE Coordinator to develop GATE at Villa Maria College
Better triangulation of data to identify gifted and talented students
IEPs created for GATE students
SECTION THIRTEEN: TEACHING AND LEARNING (School Strategic Goal
‘PEDAGOGY’)
Every department has an ongoing commitment to incorporating the Effective Pedagogies outlined in the
NZ Curriculum (pgs. 34-36 Effective Pedagogies) and Te Kotahitanga Effective-Teaching-Profile.
Faculties are working to develop pedagogies which empower students as life-long, independent
learners. A number of Faculties, e.g. English and Physical Education, display practices which encourage
students to be reflective, and offer programmes which are differentiated and contextualised. Staff are
reflective and work to adapt and develop responsive programmes, however, there has been limited
Faculty-wide focus for improving teaching practice in 2014. Some areas within the school are still
teaching to ‘the class’ e.g. one Faculty “slowed down teaching to accommodate the international girls”.
An increased focus on presenting differentiated programmes will ensure the range of student needs are
being met. The key is for teachers to inquire after their practice, considering how they have impacted on
student learning and ways they could alter what they do to improve outcomes for priority learners or
those at-risk.
Faculties are beginning to discuss how changing curriculum and lesson delivery can influence results.
This is good practice reflecting the view that curriculum delivery needs to meet the needs of individual
students. By considering other alternatives, e.g. assessment type, learning context, authentic
opportunities for learning, students are better positioned to reach their potential. Increased focus on
next steps for learning will enable students to take ownership of their learning. Physical Education and
Social Sciences Faculties have had successes with contextualised learning opportunities and report flowthrough to other classes/modules.
eLearning
Technology is used in a number of Faculties to enrich learning, increasing use of One Note and Office
365. Generally, staff are open to new ideas; their willingness to integrate eLearning pedagogies into
their units is evidence of this. In the Board of Trustees Annual reports, a few Faculties are starting to
report on the implementation of digital devices in their programmes and within their teaching. Using
OneNote as a substitutive device tends to be the norm. Given the move to BYOD for Year 9, 2016,
greater focus on Modern Learning Practices and using devices to encourage students to be creative and
innovative will help teachers use devices to be transformative in their classrooms. Staff need to upskill
in the use of teaching with digital technologies. This will need to be a key focus for 2015. The
implementation of the CORE Professional Development Programme will be a key driver for this shift in
teaching practice.
Blocking aspects of the internet poses an interesting dilemma. Do we want/need to restrict the girls’
access to the internet? At the moment some departments struggle with limited access, e.g. YouTube,
and in order to gain access to some programmes can be difficult and compromise the ability of students
to complete creative work. It may be that the College needs to look at ‘opening up’ the internet and
teaching digital citizenship skills to enable the girls to self-regulate their internet usage.
During 2014, Physical Education had a Class Site for each senior class and students were encouraged to
submit their work via OneNote. Physical Education also utilised a Facebook Page to communicate with
their students. In Media Studies digital means were frequently used to assess students e.g. prezi and the
creation of film trailers.
NEXT STEPS









Discussion of the Effective Teacher Profile (ETP) Classroom Observations based on the ETP will
enable staff to consider how their practice meets the needs of Māori (and indeed all students) in
their classes http://tekotahitanga.tki.org.nz/About/The-Development-of-TeKotahitanga/Effective-Teaching-Profile
Investigation of how teaching delivery can influence student achievement
One-on-one and small group assistance and support to ensure staff are not left behind
Circulation of Professional Readings
Department meetings contain a professional development focus and be pedagogically based
Curriculum goals, resources including ICT usage, task design, teaching and school practices are
effectively aligned
Careful management of change to ensure good practices are maintained whilst the College is
adaptable where improvement is needed
Pedagogy promotes student self-regulation and metacognitive strategies and reflective student
discourse
Schoolwide focus on elearning with the formation of the eLearning champions groups (Core
Transform programme
SECTION FOURTEEN: TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Summary of Professional Development/ Appraisal
Staff are passionate teachers and regularly attend Professional Development and discuss data and
evidence in light of ways to improve student outcomes. HOFs encourage staff to use Teaching as Inquiry
for their professional learning and appraisal, via Interlead, falls out of this process. Faculties share best
practice, resources and professional readings during Faculty meetings. Most Faculties report that
department staff have completed the appraisal process within the last 12 months and that four minute
walk throughs/class visits have been made to each staff member by the HOF or TIC. Concerningly, some
faculty HOFs are not sure whether Appraisal has been completed by members of the Faculty.
HOFs report a satisfaction with the move to Interlead which is perceived as promoting individual teacher
responsibility for learning. This is supported by the shift to the four-minute walk through and
development of the ‘critical friend’ and self-reflective practice. HOFs report four minute walk-throughs
work best when they observe a number of classes a teacher takes with one class and with a variety of
their classes.
Professional Learning
The majority of Faculties describe their results well. A few Faculties are starting to analysis their results
and to consider how changing teacher practice may be pivotal in determining student results. This type
of inquiry-based analysis of results is to be encouraged as it creates clear links between the data,
teaching practice and student achievement. By encouraging the teacher to consider how they can learn
about changing delivery methods, teachers will be encouraged to take ownership of their results.
Collaborative practice in English in Faculty discussing texts, focus and how to address deficits in the
previous year's results. In some Faculties, collaborative assessment opportunities are offered e.g. Drama
and Physical Education, Media Studies
Next steps:
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Inquiry model to be promoted as a means to reflect on teaching practice and the links to
student learning and achievement
Empower staff within departments to lead professional development within their area
SECTION FIFTEEN: School Strategic Goal ‘PATHWAYS’
Learning is effective when programmes are developed to ensure students have a learning pathway
through Villa and beyond. Faculties are exploring pathways which enable students to achieve levels
which suit their learning needs. From the faculty reports, there appears to be relatively frequent
student mobility between courses, and a number of subjects cite lack of subject-content and skills
familiarity as a possible reason for student non-achievement. Through the Gateway co-ordinator,
external providers offered programmes to ensure students have a pathway for post Villa study.
Whilst teachers and students engage constructively in goal-oriented assessment this practice could be
further embedded within the school culture through mentoring. This process could also be a vehicle to
collect student voice about learning needs.
Class and student profiles
Since being introduced in 2014, KAMAR is Villa Maria's sole Learning Management System (LMS).
Faculties are starting to use class and individual profiles with varying degrees of implementation and
success. Creating a system through KAMAR which enables teachers to have a 'snap shot' of their class,
e.g. identify students at risk of not achieving, priority learners, would be beneficial for teachers and
enable to transfer of information from teacher-to-teacher, year-to-year.
Next steps:
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Developing a Longitudinal record of student learning - Creating Notes to record Student
Interviews and Goal Setting, calls with parents, meetings with teachers and Student and Class
profiles
Class Profiles
Investigation of where our students go once they leave Villa Maria and their successes beyond
school
Identification through Goal Setting of students' goals and aspirations and construction of
courses which enable students to reach these
Evaluation of Real Time reporting success for students, parents and teachers
SECTION SIXTEEN: STAFFING
Faculties are well staffed with experienced and highly competent and successful teachers. Departments
are characterised by nurturing and respectful relationships. A programme is in place to support PRTs and
assist teachers new to Villa Maria with the transition through orientation days and on-going support by
the SCT (Rebecca Rennie). Teachers who need it are support by the SCT and SLT.
Faculties are led by HOFs with vision and passion. They work collaboratively with their teachers and
across Departments. HOFs are aware of the importance of effective communication and collaborative
practice. For some Faculties a large number of Departments come under one Faculty umbrella, which
can pose challenges. Job-sharing of the HOF role in the Social Sciences has worked well to mediate
workload and appears to be working successfully. Developing ways to bring greater synthesis in the
Arts, Social Sciences and Languages Faculties would be a key focus for the future.
Faculties struggle with part-time staff and non-specialist staff, e.g. in the Arts the large number of parttimers has direct implications for Department members to meet as a Faculty or to engage in
professional development as a Faculty. In Mathematics, non-specialist staff can struggle to deliver some
aspects of the curriculum and require a lot of support from more experienced Faculty members.
SECTION SEVENTEEN: RESOURCING
The purchasing of key equipment and resources during 2014 assisted teachers in curriculum delivery
across Faculties; new lights in the drama room, books in Arts, new software in Music and tablets in
Languages, ipads in Social Sciences were all important resources. The ipads are now housed in the
Library to ensure all staff and students have access to this technology.
Increasingly Faculties are starting to investigate moving log books, texts and resources to paperless and
online options. Some Faculties, such as Religious Studies, already take advantage of free web-based
resources. As paper-based texts age and become worn they will need to be replaced. Discussion around
the best way to do this to ensure the College has modern resources and texts which are affordable is
important and the College needs to consider the degree to which it seeks to move to a paperless
environment.
The biggest identifiable need for resources and funding is for Faculties to purchase ICT resources i.e.
computer hardware. This is especially seen as a priority by the Social Sciences and Physical Education
Faculties. Almost all Faculties report that the school’s wireless connection and capacity throughout the
school is inadequate and that are not sufficient access points to ensure full access for classes, e.g. the
Hall, PE classroom, Social Science classrooms and Language classrooms were all mentioned specifically.
Further, some school computers do not support 365 adequately and the COWS can be slow to log in
rendering them unusable. These are important issues as Villa Maria moves to BYOD in 2016. We need
to carefully consider efficient, robust and reliable wireless access.
The teaching environments were reported by most as being acceptable. Concerns were raised by
Physical Education which continues to juggle a number of work spaces. The Social Sciences, Art, Drama
all report operating with limited and insufficient space e.g. preparation area to create art work and
puppetry in Drama. Storage space is seen as a major concern in a number of areas. This includes a lack
of storage space for personal resources in the staff work room. Many Faculties, PE, Drama, Art,
Languages and Digital Technology, all report inadequate space for storing equipment, resources and
student work.
Physical Education and Art raise concerns about the lighting, ventilation and heating in their work
environments. These two Faculties express concern that they don’t have a safe and healthy work
environment and raise some issues which need attention, e.g. in Art volatile substances are not kept
away from students, mildew and moss on the all-weather court and the lack of fire egress in Room 67.
In Drama, students get carpet burns and the noise levels are a concern. A soundproof or noise reduction
system would be potential solutions. Inadequate Heating is an issue in Room 6 and 7, Mater 52. Due to
overcrowding and pressure on classrooms, in some Faculties there is a lot of movement around
between classes for individual teachers and their students, e.g. the Social Sciences are spread out
around the school and do not have one central area. Small classrooms make group work or designated
differentiated learning areas difficult in some areas, e.g. Languages
HOFs suggest further specialist areas would assist in curriculum delivery; a breakout space for rehearsals
for performing arts, recording room/s for speaking assessments in Languages and sound proofed area
for listening assessments in Languages and Performing Arts.
SECTION EIGHTEEN: GOAL SETTING
Faculties were asked ‘what actions will the department take to achieve 2015 Annual Targets?’
As is evident from the attached Reports, some Faculties, such as Social Sciences, English and Technology,
did this part of the process extremely well. They were able to clearly identify Strategic Learning Goals
with clear focus on future improvement for the Faculty, thus reflecting best practice. A number of
Faculties appear unfamiliar with evidence-based targets. Review of current performance can be limited
to the previous year and discussion targeted towards students’ achievement of 14 credits, which the
majority of our students are easily reaching. Others struggled with the specificity required or to identify
measures which would be used to identify success. For many analysis is often descriptive rather than
evaluative. By working with HOFs to determine Measurable Targets, next steps will ‘fall out’ of
discussion of previous year’s work and achievement.
There was some evidence of Faculties increasingly using or being open to using digital means to record
learning and Faculty Reports. Moving towards an electronic and digital online portfolio for Faculty
reports would allow for photos, filming of student and teacher learning to be used to gather evidence
throughout the year. It would also allow HOFs and TIC to become actively engaged in using digital
means to present work electronically, potentially upskilling them and assisting in them making links to
student learning.
Next Steps:
 Discussion of the importance of using data and evidence as a basis for setting Faculty targets
and for teacher inquiries (this will involve HOF in a self-review which focusses on them
identifying how a difference can be made in their Faculties)
 During Term II, Faculties will be supported in setting target-specific goals which reflect Villa
Maria Strategic Goals
 Investigation of electronic portfolios for Board of Trustee Reports
SECTION NINETEEN: CONCLUSION
Villa Maria College is characterised by passionate and skilled staff who establish durable relationships
with their students to produce exceptional results. During 2014, staff worked determinedly and adapted to
significant systemic change with the integration of a new student management system, KAMAR and
latterly in the year with the move to Microsoft Office 365 and to working 'in the cloud'. Following
NZQA’s standards realignment during the previous three years, staff were able to use 2014 as a time to
consolidate and focus on delivering the curriculum.
Focusing now on core business – delivery of the curriculum to the students to prepare them to be
ethical citizens and Mercy women, is our next step. Four common threads are inherent in meeting the
key strategic goals of Villa Maria, Living the Mission Statement, Performance, Pedagogy, and Pathways.
They are
1. Relationships
2. High standards
3. Using data
4. Accountability
Establishing systems which encourage both student and teacher learning will support our continued
development. By allowing staff the freedom to experiment with their teaching, to reflect on the impact
and outcomes of their work in terms of students engagement and learning innovations in education at
Villa Maria and in the wider community will assist staff in developing a sense of best practice and what
‘fits’ the Villa Maria culture of excellence.
Next steps:
1. Continued development of a Catholic lens in teaching and learning
2. Continued focus on teacher inquiry
3. Differentiation and development of programmes to meet individual needs
4. Ensuring all students, including priority learners, reach individual potential
5. Integration of modern learning practices and integration of digital technologies
6. Robust system to track student achievement