Extending High Standards across Schools (EHSAS) is a Ministry of Education contestable fund available to schools with the aim of improving student outcomes in schools by using a cluster approach to professional development, and sharing of expertise across schools. Willow Park Primary School (Northcote), Sherwood Primary School (Browns Bay), and Waiheke Primary School (Waiheke Island) have formed a cluster with a shared vision for improving student outcomes. This EHSAS cluster submitted the project proposal Inquiry: Our Way Forward to the Ministry in December 2007 and was successful in being accepted to receive funding for a four year project, 2008-2011. This project aims to increase student outcomes by:
· adopting a common concept-based inquiry pedagogy for teaching and learning in our classes, with the aim of creating a common language and understanding in all staff,
· collaborative planning and assessment across teaching teams, levels and schools,
· using evidence based practices to drive teaching and learning programmes,
· designing a robust school curriculum with strong horizontal and vertical integrity based on the requirements of the New Zealand Curriculum, 2007 and the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme,
· collecting assessment data of student achievement levels twice a year to measure improvements,
· identifying key staff at each school to lead the project, and
· employing a Project Manager to oversee the delivery and effectiveness of the project.
Community Information Evenings will be held in each school with the aim of informing our communities of the methods of teaching and assessment that we will be utilising. These will often take the form of workshops for you to get involved in, and provide a forum for questions and discussions. It is important that we seek to engage our learners at every level, students as learners, teachers as learners, and our parents as learners.
