Socioeconomic Description
The school I teach in is a Decile 10 full primary school in the hill suburbs of Christchurch. Data from Statistics NZ (2013) shows the community have proportionally higher incomes and qualifications than the general population of Christchurch City. Proportionally more people also work in occupations described as ‘professional’ or ‘manager’. The community is well-informed and has high expectations for their children’s education, matching their own achievements and the way they (adults) have been able to participate in society. High quality education is seen as both desirable and accessible - many students from our school zone access private schooling from Year 1, or in Year 8, however the popularity of our school (publicly funded) means there is a strict enrolment policy in place.
School Culture and Professional Environment
Having had the opportunity to spend time in a range of schools across Christchurch during my semi-recent teacher training, I could easily say that the school I am in has the most positive, collaborative and professional climate that I have had the chance to experience, and a school culture that unequivocally has learners at the centre. Recent changes - our new principal is in his second year at the school (after our long-serving principal retired), and an extensive building programme commencing at the same time - have been opportunities to see our school demonstrate its adaptability and professionalism. Comments from other educators who have visited our school in recent times have stated how impressed they are by the way the school has continued with so little disruption to learning programmes during this period of change and challenge. Our school motto “Together We Learn, Ka Ako Ngātahi Tātou”, supported by our school’s “Cashmere ROCKS” values, underpins the culture our learning community strives for. Our recent ERO report (2016) noted that our community sees our school as ‘moving’, which aligns well with Rosenholtz’s (1989) “moving” and “stuck” schools model.
Analysis
Reading Stoll’s (1998) work on school culture, I was able to see how various contributing factors contribute to the social norms of our learning community. Reflecting on each of the ten ‘norms’ from her work with Fink (1996), I know that I have heard conversations and observed evidence within our school of each of them. Teachers take opportunities to work together and are generous with their experience and resources. In the midst of a major redevelopment, our smooth transition into purpose-built Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) has come on the foundation of a significant amount of PD and collaborative practice across the school. Senior Leadership practice strong distributive, pedagogical leadership, which supports and respects teaching staff who in turn create learning programmes that best support their learners. There is a clear understanding that whanau and the community are integral partners in our learning community.
Stoll (1996) mentions the age of the school being a contributing factor towards school culture. Our school is 117 years old, and many students have had generations of their family educated there. I am actually a former student myself, the eldest of four siblings who attended the school. There is a strong sense of connection to the school for these families - in a way that reflects the supportive depth of our community, rather than being stifled by dusty history.
With such a positive view of the school, the challenge for me is to think critically about what our ‘next steps’ might be. I think it is important for us to remember to celebrate milestones and successes that we achieve as a team, and to not take these successes for granted. School cultures like this do not come easily, so we should acknowledge the hard work - particularly of staff - that contribute towards the desirable culture of the school.
**This post was prepared as part of the requirements for CISC8100 Applied Practice in Context, for the fulfillment of requirements of a Post-Graduate Diploma in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative Learning) via Mindlab for UNITEC.
REFERENCES
Education Review Office (2016) Review Report: Cashmere Primary School - 21/09/2016, Retrieved from http://www.ero.govt.nz/review-reports/cashmere-primary-school-21-09-2016/
Rosenholtz, S.J. (1989). Teachers’ workplace: The social organization of schools. New York: Longman.
Stoll. (1998). School Culture. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin 9. Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Understanding-school-cultures/School-Culture
Stoll, L., & Fink, D. (1996). Changing our schools: Linking school effectiveness and school improvement. Buckingham:Open University Press.
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