Waverley Park School

The weeks just been.....

After putting the NZ Curriculum on Trade Me, the intention was to keep my head down and just get on with things for a bit. So when Karori Normal School in Wellington came to the attention of national media for its view on homework, I was contacted by the Invercargill Eye for an opinion. Seeing as the research the Karori was influenced by is the same research I used for “HOMEWORK: an open letter to Waverley Park School Parents & Caregivers” back in 2001 (still available as a download from http://www.waverleypark.school.nz): actually – I did have something to say. So that’s how Draysharn and I got to be in the “Eye” today.

And over the nine years since, I have yet to see any evidence that would make me change my “homework mind”.

[Just so you know: the word “normal’ in a school’s name (as in Karori Normal) means that the school is associated with a nearby college of education and is frequently used by that college to assist with the training of new teachers].


Despite that The Parent Petition and NZEI petitions are both available at the office to sign. While the Ministry of Education has it’s spin on the standards, I invite readers to go to Kelvin Smythe’s (www.networkonnet.co.nz – click on “Latest”).

Rather inconveniently for the promoters of national’s standards, Kelvin is a well-respected educator and a well-informed critic of national standards with a very good understanding of what people really need to know about this issue. Neither is he a lone voice…

More information and links are also available from www.nzei.org.nz/ and www.nzpf.ac.nz/

You don’t need to take my word for it - feel free to do your own research – there’s plenty of well-informed evidence available.

Goal-setting interviews…
This annual exercise is coming up: 24 March from 1-00pm and 25 March from 3-30pm. Each interview is ten minutes long and involves you, your child, and your child’s teacher looking ahead for the year.

This year, we have invested in an online booking system that allows you to directly book your own interview time: http://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/
Bookings open at 5.00pm on Monday 8 March

Just type in our school’s code [DY88W] then follow the simple instructions to book your interview(s). Confirmation will be e-mailed directly to you. If you don’t have online access available at home, ask a friend who does.

Alternatively, we will make a computer available for you to use in every classroom (Tuesday – Friday) for the next two weeks.

Get in early. It’s cheaper than Grab-a-Seat (‘cos it’s free) but it is similar in that interview timeslots get taken on a first-come-first-served basis. Book yours next week.

Bookings close at 9.00am on Monday 22 March.

Despite the soggiest of starts, the year six students clambered onto the bus and headed off to camp. Two very full-on days (only one thirty minute of break of ‘free’ time in the two days); so they’ll all sleep well tonight. Our sincere thanks to the parents and staff who committed themselves to ensuring the kids had an enjoyable and safe time. A slideshow will be uploaded soon. Keep an eye out in the photo gallery page.

Enrich@ILT
Today, all of our year five students spent the day at enrich@ilt centre in Don St. The kids have spent the day learning the rudiments of power point using the Apple keynote technology.

National Standards…
While the standards are now a legislated requirement, the debate about their merit (or otherwise) is likely to continue for a while yet.

I would like to acknowledge, and express my appreciation of, the support that I have received from the Waverley Park BOT and our wider parent community over the past couple of weeks. Approximately 90% of the 200 or so responses to the Trade Me auction were on our side of the coin. Whether or not you agree with me; thank you to everyone who has put “pen to paper” to express their views to the politicians.

Despite all the hype and controversy that currently abounds, no actions likely to be detrimental to our kids or school community will be taken. No point in doing to ourselves what’s already being done by others is there?


The first e-mail said…
“The Auckland Primary Principals’ Association and New Zealand Principals Federation have compiled a short survey and are seeking your help in gathering data from the wider primary and intermediate school parent community around reporting and National Standards…It is requested that the questionnaire go in the school newsletter and either be completed online or the form returned to the school. We ask that the school collate the paper returns and either fax to 04 471 2339 or email to The national standards situation is heating up. This week, I have committed some serious time and effort to raise the profile of; and to encourage communities to get involved in the debate; I advertised the New Zealand Curriculum on Trade Me. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=271122368&permanent=0 I wasn’t quite prepared for the reaction but if it helps kids to avoid being mere pawns in a political game that has very little to do with raising student achievement. I am well-supported by our Board of Trustees; we are opposed to National’s standards being implemented in schools because they are:
Untested: The Government is rushing to implement the Standards without any evidence that they will raise achievement. National standard regimes in other countries have failed and are being abandoned. New Zealand children are already achieving very well compared to other countries.
Demoralising: Not all children come to school equal. Some children have strengths and talents in parts of the curriculum, but not in literacy and numeracy. Labelling these children as failures will damage their motivation to learn.
One Size Fits All: National Standards encourage schools to march children through fixed annual levels for reading, writing and maths based on their age. In fact, children develop at their own pace, with wide variation in their progress
Unnecessary: Schools already use a wide variety of assessment tools to identify children’s progress and already know which children are struggling.
Inaccurate: Overseas, national standards regimes have led to the manipulation of data, inaccurate classification of students, inconsistent moderation of standards across schools, and reduced flexibility in the curriculum. Let’s not repeat the debacle of rushed NCEA implementation.
Misleading: Media publication of National Standards data in the form of school league tables will create incorrect and unfair perceptions about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ schools. This will reinforce prejudice about low decile schools that may in fact be very effective in raising student achievement (source: NZEI)

As Marlene Campbell, Principal of Salford School explains in her school’s newsletter today:

“WHY NATIONAL STANDARDS WORRY TEACHERS
As New Zealand children returned to school for the 2010 year, a major reform of education was launched, the new New Zealand Curriculum; the result of years of careful development, consultation, research and training to create an innovative world class, community designed curriculum. This is a unique document to bring New Zealand education into the 21st century. Teachers, Principals, and Boards of Trustees are excited about its potential and have worked hard to create something that is designed to meet what our school community told us they valued and desired.

However, the launch of this has been totally over shadowed by the introduction of National’s national standards. This is no surprise considering the government’s determination that National’s standards, not the curriculum, will be the most important educational change in 20 years.

The ensuing debate around National’s standards puzzles the general public: why are the Government and teachers so at odds over a policy that, Ms Tolley tells us, is going to be so good for children? Surely it’s a no brainer to want to know how your child is achieving against a standard and to have that information presented in plain language - so why all the fuss? John Key tells us the opponents of National’s standards are just grumpy teacher unions defending vested interest in keeping their members comfortable.

In fact, concerns about National’s standards were first voiced by top New Zealand academics, then, increasing numbers of principals, teachers and school boards of trustees – even some of Mr Key’s own Cabinet Ministers.

Our most immediate concern is that these standards have not been trialled. The government’s haste to implement an election promise saw National’s standards written and introduced within twelve months; a timeframe that made a mockery of the consultation and in stark contrast to, that preceding the introduction of the New Zealand Curriculum.

Teachers are frustrated by the Minister’s determination to make our education system appear broken. Ms Tolley creates the impression that National Standards fill a gaping void. This is far from the truth. These are the main points as I see them: