Primary schools in the Mt Albert Area

[CCTape]

Hi there,

My daughter will be turning 5 in the middle of October so we are currently looking at primary schools to attend.

We live close to Mt Albert Primary school and it was a sort of given that she would enrol there.

I read the ERO report for Mt Albert primary (from September 2013) and the areas that were identified as non-compliant were concerning to me:

(ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to policy implementation, self review, teacher registration and health and safety. In order to comply with legislative requirements the board must:
* ensure that all teachers have a current practicing certificate and that non-teaching staff are police vetted
* maintain up to date policies that reflect current legislative requirements
* implement hazard management systems, including training for staff, that are reported regularly to the board
* improve systems for monitoring attendance, recording accidents and approving education outside the classroom
* develop effective systems for managing complaints
* implement systematic self-review processes that identify areas for school improvement)

The principal has been in the position since 1991 and appears to be highly lauded so it's concerning that things that should be (in my opinion) basic requirements are not being followed despite the principal's long tenure.

I don't know anyone in the community to ask what their experience is of the school and I don't know how honest the responses I would get from school management would be were I to approach them directly.

The other option I was looking at was Marist. My wife is vehemently against any kind of religious education whereas I think the basic principles aren't something that I disagree with.

We are out of zone for other state schools like Edendale and Gladstone.

I would love to hear from any parents in similar situations and appreciate any responses.

[Oregonkiwi]

Welcome to the forum.

I know a child who attended that school recently, I'll talk to his mother and get back to you (probably will take a few days).

[CCTape]

That would be amazing!

Thank you so much

[Oregonkiwi]

My contact is out of town for the weekend, but in the meantime I looked at the ERO report. There are a lot of positive comments in there but also, as you point out, some serious negatives. On the plus side, by the time your child starts school, it will be 2 years since the report, which is plenty of time for the school to make changes. Also, since the ERO put them on a short review cycle, there will likely be a new report available by then too. It's normal for parents to visit schools before children enrol, so I suggest you visit, talk to the principal, ask direct questions about the ERO report, and see if you're happy with the answers.

[CCTape]

Thanks Oregonkiwi

I definitely plan on going to visit which I'm hoping with allay a lot of my fears and concerns. I just don't know how 'honest' the answer I will get from the principal/faculty will be. Even though the report is from 2 years ago, it's concerning to me that many of the negatives are such basic things - especially when the Principal has been in the job since 1991.

[Oregonkiwi]

I spoke to the mother of the former student. He was at Mt Albert Primary for all his primary years and left at the end of 2013 to go to intermediate school. She was very happy with the school and says she didn't have any problems, and her friends whose kids also went there were all happy with the school too. Her older child went to a different school which has a very good reputation, and she says she couldn't see any real differences between the two schools.

[CCTape]

That's very reassuring to hear. Thanks again Oregonkiwi

[JandM]

I used to be a teacher for part of my working life. I think many of the processes that are highlighted by inspectors and made to sound important are actually far from crucial for educating children. It is extremely difficult to measure the life of a school, or the learning of a class, or an individual, and reduce the information to number-crunchable data that can ever be meaningful about the human complexities involved.

So I think, if you visit the school and you and your daughter get a good feeling about it, as this parent obviously did, you need not be TOO concerned with the report. The one highlighted point on that list that would concern me to be reassured about would be the one about having effective procedures for dealing with complaints - the others could all be down to issues of bureaucracy, rather than real education. (I looked at the last listing, and remembered when I had to set up a new department with a two-year curriculum leading to a public examination - this was all passed and approved by the examination board. At the end of the first year, a demand came through to know what changes we were going to make, because the school said SOMETHING must be altered in all courses every year, to "improve" them, evidently never having heard of not fixing something that's working perfectly. I resisted changing anything in the course we had running, because a) we'd done our best to do it right first time, and b) it should have a chance to run in its entirety, the full two years, before being judged, but no, "they" insisted. Stupid paper-pushers.)

[CCTape]

Thanks for your comment JandM. It's great to hear the perspective of a former teacher.

I think it's time I bite the bullet and make an appointment to see the principal!

[tea drinker]

Good idea to visit the school and meet the Principal - ask them your questions and ask for a tour
as someone said that Report is 2 yrs old and the school has had time to rectify these
Always visit the school when the students are there - you'll be able to get a feel for the school

In response to: ensure that all teachers have a current practicing certificate
Teachers are required to apply for Teacher Registration and receive their practicing certificate every 3 years for Full Registered status
It is not a 'done deal' - teachers have to apply (and pay a fee). The Principal is required to 'sign off' the teacher - confirming the expected level of professionalism.

Teachers are now required to have evidence of their 'performance' relating to the 12 Registered Teacher Criteria and must be prepared to give this evidence to the Teachers Council (soon to become Educanz) upon request. (That tends to be called 'shoulder tapping') If the evidence is lacking or missing then that Teacher will not get re registered as 'Full' but will be given either the status of 'Subject to Confirmation' or 'Provisional' and expected to produce the missing evidence. The TC might then decide to 'shoulder tap' a number of otherteachers at the same school regardless of their registered status.
It's the way that an individual teacher demonstrates the quality of their professional and classroom practice

Schools see the 'new' practicing certificate (actually the size of a bank card) - most take a photocopy for their records as this is something ERO ask for. It's quality control