A Guide for School Boards Considering Cohort Entry
This guide for boards draws on findings from ERO’s report Starting School Together: What Do We Know? and provides insights from schools that have changed to cohort entry.
In this section of our website you'll find our education system evaluations, effective practice reports, resources and guides. These are produced by Te Ihuwaka | Education Evaluation Centre and Te Pou Mataaho | Evaluation and Research Māori.
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This guide for boards draws on findings from ERO’s report Starting School Together: What Do We Know? and provides insights from schools that have changed to cohort entry.
This short guide for whānau and parents draws on ERO’s new report, Starting Schools Together: What Do We Know? to provide insights about what cohort entry means for how your child transitions from early learning to a cohort entry school.
In Aotearoa, children have usually started school on their fifth birthday. These days, that’s not always the case. Since 2018, schools have had the option of cohort entry, where small groups of children start school together, at particular points during the year. This can change how children transition through an early learning service.
Starting school is a major childhood event. It can be an exciting time for children and their families. But it is a big change, and so it can also be an uncertain time. A good start at school sets children up to succeed at school. We looked to see how changing to cohort entry impacts on children, their peers, and whānau, as well as their schools and early childhood education services.
Starting school is a major childhood event. It can be an exciting time for children and their families. But it is a big change and can be an uncertain time. Since 2018, schools have been able to have children start in groups at certain dates during the year. This is called cohort entry. ERO found that cohort entry has a range of benefits for children’s wellbeing and learning, schools’ ability to structure transitions more easily, and for teachers due to fewer disruptions and more time to teach.
ERO’s new report, Learning in a Covid-19 World: The Impact of Covid-19 on Pacific Learners, goes into detail about the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on Pacific learners’ achievement, attendance, mental health, wellbeing, and education pathways. It uses a range of evidence to shine a light on challenges and share successful strategies.
The disruptions caused by Covid-19 over the last two years have been challenging and long lasting. Auckland in particular has had many lockdowns and is where the majority of Pacific learners live.
Pacific communities have faced the challenges of Covid-19 with resilience and schools have put in a range of responses to support Pacific learners through the disruption. This report shines a light on these challenges and shares successful strategies.
The disruptions caused by Covid-19 over the last two years have been challenging and long lasting. ERO’s new report, Learning in a Covid-19 World: The Impact of Covid-19 on Pacific Learners, looks closely at the achievement, attendance, mental health and wellbeing, school contexts, and education pathways of Pacific learners over this time. The report shines a light on challenges and shares successful strategies.
Public consultation document inviting the public to provide feedback on the substance and scope of the chosen topic of the Long-Term Insights Briefing: “Responding to Diverse Cultures: Schools’ Practice”.
We invite your thoughts on the topic and scope of ERO’s Long-Term Insights Briefing: “Responding to Diverse Cultures: Schools’ Practice” to be published by the end of the 2022.
Public consultation document inviting the public to provide feedback on the substance and scope of the chosen topic of the Long-Term Insights Briefing: “Responding to Diverse Cultures: Schools’ Practice”.
We invite your thoughts on the topic and scope of ERO’s Long-Term Insights Briefing: “Responding to Diverse Cultures: Schools’ Practice” to be published by the end of the 2022.
This good practice report looks at how children’s cultures and languages can be reflected in everyday practice, supporting their learning and wellbeing. Drawn from home-based ECE settings, this new report is a collection of useful examples to inspire kaiako to grow their ability in culturally responsive teaching.
This short summary of our longer report Responding to Diverse Cultures: Good Practice in Home-based Early Childhood Services looks at how culturally responsive teaching can be reflected in everyday practice. This summary highlights key considerations for leaders and kaiako, to inspire growth in culturally responsive teaching.
In March 2020, the onset of COVID-19 caused major disruptions to key services in Aotearoa including the compulsory education sector. Māori medium education faced complex challenges, and given the abruptness of the situation, tumuaki, kaiako and boards of trustees had to quickly prepare whānau and learners for a new mode of online learning. Tumuaki and kaiako responded well, given the limited time and resources available for distribution.
In March 2020, the onset of COVID-19 caused major disruptions to key services in Aotearoa including the compulsory education sector. Māori medium education faced multiple complex challenges, and given the abruptness of the situation, tumuaki, kaiako and whānau whakahaere had to quickly prepare whānau and learners for a new mode of online learning.
The focus of this report was on Māori learners’ wellbeing within the English-medium setting, and their engagement and learning progress during lockdown and on return to school.
This summary is based on several research publications and articles sourced from the world-wide web. Most research findings are informed by quantitative and qualitative data. UNESCO and UNICEF publications have been major sources of information but are not the only source.
This report looks at the impact of Covid-19 on teachers and principals – including how Covid-19 has impacted enjoyment in work and workload. This report also sets out examples of how schools can prepare for 2022 and what supports will be needed for teachers and principals.
This short summary of our longer report Learning in a Covid-19 World: The Impact of Covid-19 on Teachers and Principals looks at the impact of Covid-19 on teachers and principals – including how Covid-19 has impacted enjoyment in work and workload. It also sets out examples of how schools can prepare for 2022 and what supports will be needed for teachers and principals.
All of the participants in this evaluation modify their teaching and learning programmes to better suit the needs of their learners. They intentionally focus on the integration of the NCEA standards through their te marau ā-kura. Leaders, professionals, kaiako and kaimahi are extremely effective in developing and using innovative tools and resources to support student progression.
In the days preceding 26 March 2020, kura needed to rapidly respond to and prepare for a move to distance teaching and learning. We had been informed that at midnight 25th March 2020 the entire country would go into COVID-19 Alert Level four Lockdown. There was uncertainty about how long the situation would continue.