Te Kura Annual Report 2010 - Te Aho O Te Kura Pounamu

CHAIR’S REPORT CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT GOVERNANCE OUR STUDENTS & COMMUNITY STRATEGIC CONTEXT MĀORI RESPONSIVENESS STRATEGY STATEMENT OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS0202CHIEFEXECUTIVE’SREPORTTE KUPU A TE KAIHAUTUCHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORTTE KUPU A TE KAIHAUTUsaw considerable progress on key activities across Te Kura and towardsthe achievement of our three enabling strategies: engage, develop andsupport Māori learners to achieve as Māori; become a leader in e-learning and utilise technologyeffectively throughout the school; and ensure our people, systems and processes are adaptive,responsive and capable of achieving our goals.Implementation of the new National Standards for reading, writing and mathematicsbegan in 2010, with extensive professional development for staff of students in years 1 to8 throughout the year. Teachers reported on students’ achievement and progress against theNational Standards at mid and end of year. Feedback from parents after this reporting was verypositive. Teachers also worked with students and their supervisors to set goals for students’achievement in these areas. Reports analysing students’ achievement against the NationalStandards were provided for the Board on mid and end of year results. The Board has set targetsfor improvement across the school based on this analysis. Results for the first year showed thatabout two thirds of students are working at or above the standard for their year level, with the exception of reading whichis a little higher. The proportion at or above goes down as the year level goes up.The review of NCEA standards by the Ministry of Education and NZQA also got underway in 2010, resulting inan extensive project by Te Kura to revise our NCEA level one resources to align them with the updated standards. Theproject involved many staff across the school, who were responsible for writing new resources, or amending existingones; peer-review; editing; layout and design. On behalf of the senior leadership team and Board of Trustees I would liketo formally acknowledge the considerable effort of everyone involved to help ensure the availability of the new coursematerials for students enrolled in these courses in 2011.During 2010 our Māori Learners’ Success Framework was reviewed and realigned as our Māori ResponsivenessStrategy, reflecting the re-released Ministry of Education strategy Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success: The MāoriEducation Strategy 2008–2012. A key element of the strategy was the development of an online te reo Māori course atNCEA level one, the result of a partnership with the Auckland University of Techology. Te Kura was chosen to be partof He Kākano, a leadership development programme for schools aimed at developing culturally responsive leadershipwith the overarching goal of improving Māori student achievement.In 2009 Te Kura launched a programme of work to replace several ageing computer systems and introduce an electronicdocument and records management system (EDRMS). The first phase in implementation of the Desire2Learn onlineteaching and learning environment (OTLE) was completed during term 1, enabling the development of two fully-onlinecourses designed for delivery through the OTLE – NCEA level one digital technology and te reo Māori – and the migrationof support material for around 30 other courses from the legacy Blackboard system, ready for use in 2011. The EDRMSwas successfully launched mid-year. Work to implement the new student management system, the most substantial of thethree systems projects, continued throughout the year. This multi-million dollar project will put in place a single studentmanagement system that brings together the functionality of four systems, rationalises a number of divergent businesspractices, improves data integrity and provides significantly better management reporting functionality.The earthquake that struck Canterbury in September 2010 impacted on staff and students across the Southernregion, but in particular our staff based in the Christchurch central business district. Staff worked hard to ensure ourstudents were not disadvantaged, while our facilities and IT teams did everything they could to get the office back upand running again. Writing this now in March 2011, the events of six months ago were just a preamble to a devastatingearthquake that has changed the face of Christchurch and will impact on its residents for many years to come. Ourthoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the February earthquake.MIKE HOLLINGSCHIEF EXECUTIVETE AHO O TE KURA POUNAMU05ANNUAL REPORT 201006

CHAIR’S REPORT CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT GOVERNANCE OUR STUDENTS & COMMUNITY STRATEGIC CONTEXT MĀORI RESPONSIVENESS STRATEGY STATEMENT OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS0303GOVERNANCETE POARI WHAKAHAEREGOVERNANCETE POARI WHAKAHAEREis governed by a Board of Trustees, the composition of whichis determined by the Minister of Education in accordancewith section 95 of the Education Act 1989.The Board was appointed by Gazette notice on 30 September 2004, which stated thatit was to be constituted by a chairperson and up to six members appointed by the Ministerof Education. During 2009 two new members joined the Board and five incumbent memberswere reappointed. John Nisbet, a Te Kura staff member first elected in June 2009, was reelectedin June 2010.The Board is supported by the Risk Assurance Committee and the Employers Committee,which between them deal with much of the detailed work prior to consideration by the Board.The following table details the term of office for each current Board member:NAMETERM EXPIRESPatricia McKelvey (Chair) – reappointed September 2009September 2011Wayne Bainbridge – reappointed September 2009September 2012Don Blakeney – appointed May 2009September 2012Roger Drummond – reappointed September 2009September 2011Carol Moffatt – reappointed September 2009September 2012John Nisbet (Te Kura staff member) – elected June 2010June 2013Nori Parata – reappointed September 2009September 2012Jacky Stafford – appointed May 2009September 2012Roger Taylor (Deputy Chair) – reappointed September 2009September 2011The Board is supported by the following two committees:Risk Assurance CommitteeRoger Taylor (Chair)Roger DrummondCarol MoffattJohn NisbetPatricia McKelvey (ex officio)Employer CommitteeRoger Drummond (Chair)Wayne BainbridgeNori ParataPatricia McKelvey (ex officio)TE AHO O TE KURA POUNAMU07ANNUAL REPORT 201008

CHAIR’S REPORT CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT GOVERNANCE OUR STUDENTS & COMMUNITY STRATEGIC CONTEXT MĀORI RESPONSIVENESS STRATEGY STATEMENT OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS0404OUR STUDENTSAND COMMUNITYĀ MĀTOU ĀKONGA TŌ MĀTOU HAPORITE AHO O TE KURA POUNAMU09OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITYĀ MĀTOU ĀKONGA TŌ MĀTOU HAPORIis New Zealand’s largest provider of distance education in the early childhood andcompulsory education sectors. We also provide education programmes for adultlearners returning to qualifications-based learning.Te Kura was established as the Correspondence School in 1922 to provide primary level education for 83 studentsliving in remote areas. Expansion in 1929 allowed the extension of services to secondary students. Since then, the schoolhas grown and developed to meet changing demands as our role in the national education system has evolved over time.The circumstances of Te Kura students are many and varied. This diversity is evident in terms of their age andethnicity, location, educational need and level of support available to each student.In 2010 Te Kura had a cumulative roll of over 26,000 with around 15,000 students enrolled at any one time. Whilemost are of secondary school age, our students range from pre-schoolers to senior citizens and live in all regions ofNew Zealand and overseas.Te Kura has a sizeable Māori community, with Māori students comprising approximately 30% of full-time primaryand approximately 45% of full-time secondary enrolments. Our Māori Responsiveness Strategy recognises the need toengage, develop and support Māori learners to be successful and to do so in ways that support their identity as Māori.Te Kura must provide for the learning needs of all our students and address the expectations of their learningsupervisors and whānau. While a small proportion of the roll still includes those who are geographically isolated,itinerant or living overseas, Te Kura students are increasingly those for whom a face-to-face school is not currentlythe best option. This includes students who have been alienated or excluded from a face-to-face school, those whohave been referred by Group Special Education because they have psychological or psycho-social needs, young parents,and students who have been referred by Child, Youth and Family. Together, these students make up approximately70% of our roll.Our focus is on working with students, their whānau and community to provide effective teaching and personalisedlearning. Te Ara Hou, an integrated learning programme for students in years 7 to 10, engages them in learning that isrelevant and responsive to their individual needs. Our aim is that Student Education Plans (SEPs) are in place for allfull-time students that record their agreed aspirational goals. Each SEP is developed through negotiation between thelearning advisor, their student and supervisor. Regular review of a student’s SEP measures progress made and providesthe opportunity for setting new goals.Regionally-based event days for students are organised by staff who know their students and whānau, and theschools, agencies and community groups that are available to support students’ learning. These events help Te Kurastudents develop their practical work, and social and relationship-building skills within a local context. Parallelprogrammes for learning supervisors augment the skills they use when working with their students.Te Kura also has a substantial number of dual-enrolled students from primary and secondary schools, enrolledfor curriculum access, adaptation or extension. Through these enrolments the school has developed solid workingpartnerships with most of the country’s primary and secondary schools. Each of these partnerships is based on a ServiceLevel Agreement (SLA) that formalises each party’s responsibilities for the student’s education.While early childhood enrolments encompass a diversity of lifestyle and socio-economic backgrounds, they continueto be drawn mainly from rural areas. Most of these students go on to attend their local primary school.Our roll includes a large number of young adult enrolments – those aged 16 or over who have left school priorto enrolment with Te Kura. Students enrolled under this gateway may remain enrolled up to and including the end ofthe year in which they turn 19. In 2010 Te Kura increased its support for young adult students by allocating any suchstudents enrolled in two or more subjects to a learning advisor for ongoing pastoral support.ANNUAL REPORT 201010

CHAIR’S REPORT CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT GOVERNANCE OUR STUDENTS & COMMUNITY STRATEGIC CONTEXT MĀORI RESPONSIVENESS STRATEGY STATEMENT OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS04 OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITYENROLMENT TYPE2010 STUDENTCUMULATIVE*ENROLMENTSENROLMENTCATEGORYEarly childhood949Full-timeYear 1–6572Full-time577Dual34Fee payer1406Full-time3650Dual92Fee payer2129Full-time7521Dual158Fee payerAdults8105Including 4263Young AdultenrolmentsDepartment ofCorrections (adults)942Total26135Year 7–10Year 11–13*These figures represent cumulative enrolments throughout2010, not a count of students.FUNDING AND ENROLMENTTe Kura is funded by way of an annual grant from the Ministry ofEducation in accordance with section 81A of the Education Act 1989.Funding is based on student engagement. The resourcing notice fromthe Ministry of Education stipulates the funding to be provided tothe school.The enrolment of students is governed by sections 7 and 7A ofthe Education Act 1989. The enrolment policy is agreed between theMinistry of Education and the Board of Trustees and is published byGazette notice. Students who meet the policy criteria may enrol asgovernment-funded students. Other students may enrol as fee-payingstudents in some enrolment categories.ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTUREEQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (EEO) PROGRAMMELOCATION AND REGIONAL SERVICESTe Kura is organised into three wahanga – Learning Delivery, Designand Quality, and Capability Services – each led by a Deputy ChiefExecutive (DCE) reporting to the Chief Executive.Learning Delivery is responsible for the school’s teaching andlearning and for students’ in-region pastoral support. This wahangais organised into four regional, cross-disciplinary teams that arealigned with the Ministry of Education regional offices – Northern,Central North, Central South and Southern – to promote greatercollaboration with the Ministry at a regional level. Teachers workin multidisciplinary teams to promote better understanding andengagement with students, creating an environment conducive toimproved student achievement. Learning Delivery’s responsibilitiesalso include early childhood teaching and learning.The Design and Quality wahanga supports effective teachingthrough curriculum leadership and development and has schoolwide responsibility for the assessment of years 1 to 13 studentsand for leading, developing and coordinating e-learning. It alsohas responsibility for the distribution of learning materials toTe Kura students.Capability Services provides the school’s corporate supportstructure. Its functions include enrolment services, facilities andprocurement, finance, human resources, information resources andorganisational performance, planning and reporting.The Chief Executive and the Board are supported by the ChiefAdvisor in the Chief Executive’s office. Together, the Chief Executive,the three DCEs and the Chief Advisor make up the Senior LeadershipTeam, with individual and collective responsibility for achieving theobjectives and outcomes of the annual plan.Each senior manager has accountability for specific areas of activity,management of resources and leadership of people and projects.The school reports annually to the Board of Trustees on its EEOprogramme, providing a snapshot of staffing at Te Kura at the endof each calendar year. This ongoing reporting supports identificationof trends and appropriate responses. The format of the EqualEmployment Opportunities Trust toolkit guides elements of thereport, which includes information on gender, age and ethnicityof Te Kura staff. The report excludes data on teacher aides, reliefteachers, temporary employees and contractors. Such staff aregenerally employed for very short periods of time and including theirdata would disproportionately affect the information presented.The total number of permanent and fixed term staff at 31 December2010 is 523. The average age of staff at Te Kura is 50, compared to 48in 2009, with the median age remaining at 53. The age of the school’sworkforce is generally older than the New Zealand workforce. Thiscould be attributable to the previous practice of employing teachingstaff who have demonstrated significant experience in a classroomenvironment. As in 2009, there is little difference between the agedistribution of male and female employees.The school’s employee gender mix is 71% female and 29%male. The general workforce gender mix in New Zealand is morebalanced, being 51% female and 49% male. There is little differencein the percentage distribution of permanent job offers at Te Kuramade to males or females, with more than 75% of staff employed ona permanent basis.Te Kura does not currently require employees to provideethnicity information and therefore the data included in the reportis based on information relating to 75% of current permanent andfixed term staff. Te Kura aims to have the ethnic profile of itsemployees match as far as practicable the enrolled student ethnicprofile. Where Te Kura staff have reported their ethnicity the reportshows 7% of staff recorded as Māori. This is in contrast to the recordedethnicity of all Te Kura students, where over 30% identify as Māori.The ethnic diversity of Te Kura employees is a reasonable match withthe general New Zealand workforce, although all the minority groupsare slightly underrepresented.The school’s Wellington operations are housed in two separate sitesin Thorndon and one in the central city, with a complex inventory,distribution and delivery system for student learning materialsmanaged from the school’s warehouse in Petone.Te Kura is also represented in regional offices in Auckland,Christchurch and Hamilton, which provide a base for the region’skaiārahi, local liaison teachers and a number of subject teachers.The regional managers for Northern and Central North are alsobased in the regional offices. Regional managers and kaiārahi arethe key contacts for stakeholders in the regions. To support our fulltime students they work with communities, non-government andgovernment agencies and lead the development of new relationshipsin the region. Relationship coordinators in each region work withdual-education providers.CHIEF EXECUTIVEDEPUTY CHIEFEXECUTIVE,LEARNINGDELIVERYTE AHO O TE KURA POUNAMU11DEPUTY CHIEFEXECUTIVE,DESIGN ANDQUALITYDEPUTY CHIEFEXECUTIVE,CAPABILITYSERVICESCHIEFADVISORTO CHIEFEXECUTIVEAND BOARDANNUAL REPORT 201012

CHAIR’S REPORT CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT GOVERNANCE OUR STUDENTS & COMMUNITY STRATEGIC CONTEXT MĀORI RESPONSIVENESS STRATEGY STATEMENT OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS0505STRATEGIC CONTEXTTE HOROPAKI RAUTAKIThe intent of the strategic plan comprises our:potential, talents and strengths, meet their particular mix ofrequirements and are tailored to ensure they have the opportunity tosucceed in their learning and future careers.Our medium-term strategic direction is centred on three overarchingand integrated strategic goals, which are the focus of everything we do,within the context of teaching and learning as core delivery for the school:VisionOur students achieve their potentialStudent Presence Student Engagement Student AchievementPurposeWe provide our students with anytime,anywhere personalised learningStrategic themeStudents firstUnderpinning the three strategic goals are three strategic priorities,which are the key strategic changes we aim to deliver over the termof the strategic plan. The strategic priorities will guide thedevelopment of the key initiatives that will be implemented throughour annual planning.OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONThe strategic plan for Te Kura outlines our strategic direction over thethree year period 2010–12. This annual report is against year one of thestrategic plan, as reflected in our

Education and NZQA, Te Kura embarked on an extensive project to revise NCEA level one resources. We began trialling alternative delivery options for dual-enrolled students, in preparation for the move to full digital delivery of learning materials for that student group. Meanwhile, our regionally-based