Kia ora koutou
I have been thinking about today’s newsletter alot. When really poor data hits the media that tells a story of failing tamariki and teachers – this is cause for sleepless nights. I knew this wasn’t “our” data but it is our education system.
What we need to consider is this:
IF all 5 year olds lined up on the start line together and arrived at that start line with the same ‘equipment’ in their backpack then you COULD assume that 80% of them might reach the Year 8 finish line at a similar time. But you would also then assume that throughout that time their life experiences were also similar.
What arrives in a 5 year olds ‘backpack of readiness for school’ is a mixture of things and for many it is a complex mixture. I know I am simplifying the issue but what I have always advocated for as an educationalist and leader of learning is that we take children from where they are at and keep them moving forward. It is also to relate to our tamariki as individuals, light a fire and a passion for lifelong learning and never settle for a one size fits all approach.
Our children are more than the sum of a test or the result of an exam. Reading, writing and maths are important skills, but so are self-managing, critical thinking, practical decision making, competition, experimentation, body movement, empathy, the arts…..I could list 100 more attributes that parents have spoken to me about over the years. There is so much we do in school to engage your child in their learning journey and we put as much effort into that as we do into the planning and teaching of reading, writing and maths.
We welcome diagnostic tests as one of the tools that help teachers understand how an individual child is progressing in comparison to other children of the same age. This knowledge can then be used to tailor an education programme to meet that student’s needs but not as a way of comparing them so that they see themselves as either successes or failures of the system.
I will publish our mid-year data in our next newsletter, but at this point in the year, a conservative figure for our Year 8’s achieving at maths is over 70%. The media figure for Year 8 achievement in maths was 22%.
I hope many of you have been able to get along to our Aspiration Conversations (either yesterday or tomorrow) – it is so important to remember that we are in this learning journey together and your children really relish the opportunity to share their goals and aspirations with you and ‘show off’ their learning. You are a major part of their motivation to learn and the success that comes from this. We sincerely thank you for your support.
Finally – as I mentioned in the last newsletter – this is a busy term for ‘transport support’ and we really appreciate all offers of transport – we simply couldn’t get as involved in events as with do without your help.
Ngā manaakitanga, Kim Gordon, Tumuaki.
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