Case Studies – RWMP

Foxton Primary School

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This is an account from one of the schools, or clusters of schools, that have received funding from the Reading, Writing and Mathematics Proposals Pool (RWMP) to support programmes in reading, writing and mathematics for students years 1 to 6.

Foxton Primary is a decile 1 school of around 200 students, located in a small rural town with severe unemployment problems and inadequate early childhood services. While parents and whānau in the township are trying very hard to support their children, they are often struggling to do so – many parents, for instance, are undertaking courses to help gain employment, so are tired and stressed. A high proportion of young children are not being read to regularly, and lack opportunities for developing oral language in depth.

The school has an immersion class, and as the contact with te reo Māori outside school is limited, two kai awhina are employed along with the teacher to enrich the language environment.

The issues

The results of School Entry Assessment in 2000 showed that 80 percent of the new entrants had low scores in the Tell Me procedure, and 45 percent had only modest concepts about print. PAT scores in later school years indicated that this tough start impeded progress right through the children's time at school. In the face of this lack of success, the school culture as a whole had tended to deteriorate.

The planning

The appointment of a new principal in 2000 gave an impetus for the board of trustees to plan for a fresh approach to whole-school improvement. To change the culture, students and teachers needed to develop the positive attitudes to learning that arise from experiencing success.

The board decided to employ extra staff to ensure that class sizes were kept small, especially in the early years, and to purchase a variety of new resources to support a language-rich environment. Major professional development initiatives were planned, along with reinforcing and extending training for a parent–tutor reading programme, which had already begun.

The actions

All the staff were involved in an English contract for professional development. This set the scene for a coordinated approach throughout the school, particularly in establishing benchmarks, developing better assessment practices, and improving their reporting systems. Two teachers also undertook advanced training as resource teachers of reading literacy.

In the junior classes, a language-rich environment was developed, with intensive exposure to language and well-modelled language patterns through shared reading, story-telling, and writing. Children were encouraged to work independently through having a range of hands-on language activities and access to resources on disc. Staff training had a special focus on oral language.

For years 5 to 8, several initiatives were taken. Tape-assisted reading resources and other materials were purchased, and the school introduced a special programme designed to assist teacher aides and others (the "Bannatyne" programme), which provided strategies for them to support teachers in an integrated, whole-language environment. The aim was to add reading mileage and monitor progress systematically.

The Parent–Tutor reading programme was geared especially for years 5 to 8. One teacher was given a time allocation to coordinate this work by monitoring the tutoring, regularly checking children's progress, and using an IEP style of individual planning. This professional support meant that parent volunteers received regular feedback and guidance as to the teaching points that were significant for each child. Parent tutors (who included grandparents, other family, or community volunteers), worked with the individual children daily.

The results

In the junior years, children have made significant gains. Those who received extra support such as Reading Recovery are sustaining their reading at or above chronological age. Teachers have lifted their expectations, and are building on their initial professional development and using the wide variety of resources to enrich language experiences for all the children.

In years 5 to 8, children in the Parent–Tutor scheme are monitored every two weeks, and tutors receive feedback, along with appropriate resources and teaching points. The focus is on reading to and with the children, and reviewing the reading to consolidate understanding. Students stay in the programme until they are reading at their chronological age and have the strategies in place to maintain momentum. This period ranges from as little as four weeks, with an average of 15 weeks. Gains have been spectacular in some cases – in one sample of 13 students, the lowest gain was 6 months, and the highest 6 years, with an average of 3.5 years.

School facilities are being upgraded, and space is being set aside for parent tutors so that this initiative can be continued.

Foxton's enrichment of school experiences does not stop with formal programmes. The school is keen to establish an atmosphere of enjoyment and cooperation and to motivate students through rewarding effort in tangible ways. They take part in the Duffy Books in Homes scheme, enabling children to have books of their own, and to take a pride in ownership so that books are better looked after and valued by the family. There are many visitors to the school, who tell stories, read with children, and reinforce fun and excitement in language and learning.

The key to sustaining progress for Foxton is their passionate commitment to making a difference for the children and maintaining intrinsic motivation through experiencing and celebrating success.

Contact:

Foxton Primary School, Park Street, Foxton
Ph/fax 06 363 8269
Email fxtnprim@xtra.co.nz

2001

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