Liberton Christian School
2003 School Charter
OUR VISION
Liberton Christian School will partner with the Christian community, to provide a high quality education in which each child is:
- taught to value others,
- encouraged to develop his/her abilities, and
- equipped to serve God.
OUR MISSION
To support the wider Christian community in Dunedin by providing primary education to children in a manner that facilitates their personal development, that is recognised to be of a high standard, that encourages family involvement, and that is delivered within a framework of Christian truth.
INTRODUCTION
Liberton Christian School is a non-denominational Christian School located in Pine Hill, Dunedin. It was founded in 1982 with the intention of providing a comprehensive, biblically centred, primary level education (Years 1-8) for Dunedin’s wider Christian community.
Starting with a roll of 20 students and one teacher in 1982, the school roll grew quickly to the point where, by 1988, there were three teachers and considerable pressure on the existing classroom facilities. In 1989 an additional classroom was added to the school. By 1993, the School roll had almost reached 70 pupils at which point it stabilised.
In October 1999, the school became integrated and has seen its roll climb from 36 pupils (the level to which it dropped in 1998 and 1999), to more than 60 pupils. It is again finding pressure on classroom and support facilities. Capital works completed in the last two years, together with those planned over the next 18 months have (and will) will make a considerable difference to the school.
Over the 20 years of its existence, the school has developed an enviable record in terms of its Christian character and the overall quality of the education that it delivers to its pupils, particularly with the emphasis that it has placed on literacy and numeracy. With very few exceptions, the school’s pupils have excelled when they have moved on to their secondary education. It is the Board’s desire to see this level of performance enhanced even further.
OUR SCHOOL’S UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL GOALS
Liberton Christian School recognises its responsibility to adhere to the National Educational Goals and Priorities. Being a school of a special character, however, it sets itself additional educational goals that not only reflect that special character, but also assist in providing an overarching ambience and direction for the life and work of the School. It is these that we wish to ensure direct the school’s teaching strategies and philosophies.
Our educational goals that specifically reflect our special character may be stated as follows:
- To encourage children to honour God as the creator of all things and to follow Jesus Christ as the one who deserves their lifelong allegiance.
- To help children both develop the gifts and abilities entrusted to them by God and to develop a genuine compassion and concern for others.
- To lay an educational foundation that will provide a platform for future vocational achievement and a framework for lifelong learning.
- To foster amongst children a desire to learn about the created world around them and to become wise stewards of its resources.
Statement of Intent for Maori Students
- Liberton Christian School acknowledges, through curriculum implementation delivered within the context of its special character, the position of Maori in New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage.
- We recognize the memorandum of understanding between Ngai Tahu and the Ministry of Education.
- If a Maori student is enrolled at Liberton Christian School we will undertake to consult with the school Maori community.
- We will seek to identify iwi affiliation on enrolment of Maori students.
- Subject to available resources, and within the framework of our special character, we will undertake to provide learning opportunities in Tikanga Maori and Te Reo Maori. Where necessary, such requests will be referred to Resource Teachers of Maori for advice and assistance and/or referred to Correspondence School courses.
National Education Priorities
At Liberton Christian School we seek to meet the NEPs by …
Success for all
We are a small school that has pupils with a very wide spectrum of learning abilities. Students’ individual needs are catered for and children are encouraged and assisted to achieve to the best of their ability.
A Safe Learning Environment
A safe emotional and physical environment is maintained by reference to Biblical standards of love and consideration of others, and by the updating and regular review of school policies, procedures and practices.
Improving Literacy and Numeracy
There is a very strong focus on the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills at all levels. The school works diligently to help pupils develop these skills and tests these learning outcomes by using external benchmark assessment procedures.
Better Use of Student Achievement Information
Assessment is used to inform teachers of the next teaching steps. The focus is on identifying where children are at in their learning so as to be able to better meet their individual needs.
Improving Outcomes for Students at Risk
Using a variety of formative and summative assessment procedures, teachers gather data on students’ knowledge and skills in order to identify children at risk, or groups of children needing intervention strategies (both of a remedial and an extension nature).
Improving Maori Outcomes
Maori students are identified at the time of enrolment and the parents of such children consulted at least twice a year to ensure that their children’s educational needs are being met. The Board of Trustees sensitively monitors the performance of these students.
Reporting
Liberton Christian School reports to its school community through parent forums, two oral and one written report each year, a bi-weekly newsletter, notes from teachers and a community newspaper. The BoT is kept informed of student achievement.
SWOT ANALYSIS
As the Board has attempted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the school, as well as the opportunities and threats faced by the school, it sees the following.
Strengths
- A distinctive special character.
- Excellent teachers who see their task as more than a job.
- A parent community that is very involved in the life of the School.
- Children from a wide range of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Purpose built school facilities.
- A set of values that are shared by parents and teachers alike.
- Smaller student numbers allow understanding of personal needs of pupils.
- A very good reputation in the wider community.
- A strong emphasis on its teaching of literacy and numeracy.
Weaknesses
- Smaller numbers result in multi-level classes with a wide age range and a wide range of abilities and learning levels. This creates an increased work-load for teachers.
- By virtue of being a smaller school with wide learning ranges in a single class, it is often not easy to cope with special needs children.
- Our maximum school roll (62 pupils) is not far above the number required for three MoE funded teachers. If just one or two families leave the school then the funding for our third full-time teacher is immediately compromised.
Opportunities
- We are the only non-denominational full-primary Christian School in Dunedin.
- Our publicity within the Christian community has traditionally not been well focused, nor particularly effective. There is great scope for improvement.
- There is a concern in the Christian community at the lack of a consistent moral/ethical framework within society as a whole and within the education system in particular.
- Home schooling, while becoming increasingly popular, often lacks a NZ based curriculum.
Threats
- The home schooling movement is gaining momentum, particularly amongst the Christian community.
- Dunedin is not growing and the primary age-group demographic bulge is now past. Thus the number of primary-level children in Dunedin is in decline.
- The School is not centrally located in Dunedin and is not easily accessible by public transport. It is easier for parents to send their children to a local school. For this reason we MUST be seen to deliver something special and desirable.
- Amongst the Christian community there is a poor understanding of the rationale for the type of Christian education delivered by the school.
NAG 1 Curriculum
NAG 1.1 Curriculum Delivery and Content. To provide high quality teaching and learning programmes, that incorporate the essential learning areas and that are delivered in a way that maintains the special character of the school.
NAG 1.2 Student Progress and Achievement. To use effectively a range of assessment tools to gather information so as to accurately monitor, assess, evaluate and report on student achievement.
NAG 1.3 Special Needs. To identify students with special needs and to provide programmes that help meet those needs.
NAG 1.4 Maori and Other Cultures. To develop a positive appreciation for other cultures and, in particular, the importance of Maori culture and language to New Zealand. To consult with Maori parents in such a way as to best assist the achievement of Maori students.
NAG 1.5 Community Consultation, Support and Involvement. To be a school that not only fosters a strong sense of community, but also consults with both its parent and wider support communities, seeking their involvement in setting strategic directions that accord with its special character.
2003 Strategic Objectives
- Revise curriculum delivery plans that reflect a Christian world and life view and develop school wide learning intentions, for English & Technology
- Continue to ensure high achievement in literacy and numeracy through high quality teaching assessment techniques.
- Ensure that parents are well informed on their children’s progress at school.
- Provide specific assistance for children with known barriers to learning.
- Consult with the Maori community and develop policies, plans and targets for the achievement of Maori students
- Enhance the school community’s understanding of Christian education.
NAG 2: Planning, Review and Reporting
To maintain an updated Strategic Plan that will outline how we will give effect to the NAGS, NEGS and National Education Priorities.
To complete the development, and implement a three-year review cycle.
To report to the school community regularly on student achievement.
2003 Strategic Objectives
- Re-work both the Strategic Plan and the Annual Plan to better link goals, objectives and learning outcomes.
- Complete school policy documentation with new review schedule.
- Set targets to meet new planning and reporting requirements.
- Set up a curriculum review cycle that includes student achievement reporting to the BoT.
NAG 3: Personnel
To ensure that the teaching staff employed by the School are both capable of delivering the National Curriculum Framework and of upholding the School’s Special Character.
To implement positive personnel policies that recognize the value of staff, and that promote high levels of staff performance.
2003 Strategic Objectives
- Ensure that performance management system meets MoE requirements, including appraisal agreements for all staff.
- Maintain a well targeted professional development programme for all staff
- Principal to be appraised..
- Principal to attend local school cluster/support meetings.
- Make strategic decision re a third permanent teaching position.
- Opportunities for teachers to continue to gain in understanding of Christian education.
NAG. 4: Finance and Property
To allocate and monitor the use of funds, ensuring that they are used to advance the educational goals of the School and that they reflect the school priorities as outlined in the School’s Strategic Plan.
To provide the children with a safe, comfortable and pleasant learning environment.
To ensure that we have an up-to-date 10-year Maintenance Plan.
2003 Strategic Objectives
- Prepare and implement an annual budget, allocating funds according to the Annual Plan and to established priorities so as to enhance learning outcomes.
- Monitor spending, ensuring that appropriate financial controls are exercised.
- Prepare and cause to be audited, annual accounts as required by relevant legislation.
- Liaise with the Proprietors re the School’s ongoing capital works programme.
- Meet MoE financial/maintenance requirements.
NAG 5: Health and Safety
To provide a safe physical and emotional environment and comply with legislative requirements in regard to the safety of the students and employees. To help children develop a clear understanding both of their importance to their creator and their value as a uniquely gifted individual.
2003 Strategic Objectives
- Encourage children to recognize the unique gifts that each has been given by God.
- Identify and minimize hazards,
- Ensure that children are appropriately supervised at all times.
- Develop and review Health and Safety policies.
- Ensure that the physical environment is conducive to learning.
- Maintain health plans for all students with life-threatening allergies.
- Ensure that children are conversant with school evacuation procedures.
NAG 6: Legislative Compliance
2003 Strategic Objectives
- To comply with all relevant legislation.
- The Board recognises its obligation to comply with general legislative requirements concerning issues such as student attendance, the length of the school day, the length of the school year, Annual Meetings and new school Charters.
- The Board also recognises its responsibility to review annually and comply with the code or Practice for the Residential Care of International Students.
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