Priority groups of learners
Historically, the New Zealand schooling system used a model that left some students disengaged or underachieving.
There may be a variety of reasons why some students are not able to meet their highest possible standard in educational achievement (the paramount objectiveopen_in_new).
Your board needs to identify these students and use appropriate strategies to support them.
Note: priority groups of learners are sometimes referred to as “students whose needs have not yet been well met.”
Who are our priority groups of learners?
The Education (School Planning and Reporting) Regulations 2023open_in_new identifies the following categories:
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Māori Students
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Pacific students
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Disabled students
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Students with learning support needs, including gifted and talented students
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Students who are, or are at risk of, not progressing towards or achieving against curriculum expectations
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Students in respect of whom a care or protection order has been made under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989open_in_new
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Students in the youth justice system.
While most students who identify as one or more of these do well in school, there are too many represented in the lowest-performing group at the national level.
To improve the outcomes for these groups, your board should include targeted Ministry of Education strategies in your planning process, such as:
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Improving achievement
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Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia – the Māori Education Strategyopen_in_new
All these strategies are working together to make our country’s education system more inclusive.
What does inclusive education mean?
Inclusive education means all children and young people are engaged and achieve by being present, participating, learning, and belonging.
It means all learners feel welcomed at their school or kura.
They are supported to play, learn, contribute, and participate in all aspects of life at the school or kura.
By identifying and removing barriers that prevent students from feeling like they belong, your school community will naturally become more inclusive.
What can your board do?
Take steps to connect with and form strong community partnerships.
Ensure your policies and plans reflect the aspirations of your community.
Recognise the diversity within the community and check that your board membership reflects it.
If it doesn’t, your board could potentially co-opt a representative from an identified community group, giving them a voice on your board.
Seek assurance that your school is supporting priority learners and their families, and whether there is anything your board can do.
Ensure all is being done to help every student achieve their highest standard of educational achievement by examining student attendance and achievement data.
(This will help your board meet supporting objectivesopen_in_new (c), (d), and (e).)
And finally, ensure your board plans for and allocates resources to the school, allowing staff time to reflect on and implement your strategies.
Questions your board could ask
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Does the school report to our board on the attendance, engagement, progress, achievement, and wellbeing of all students?
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Does our board receive reports that include data about the progress and achievement of students in our identified priority groups?
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Do these students have individual strategies in place to support them?
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How well is our board meeting the paramount objective?
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Is our board implementing the government’s strategies to meet the needs of priority groups of learners?
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What have we done to identify who makes up our school community?
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Have we engaged with the different groups in our community to ensure we’re meeting their needs and listening to their aspirations for their children?
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Do school staff feel supported and resourced enough to provide an inclusive learning environment?
Templates, resources, and references
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