Module 1: Planning and reporting
This module prepares first-time principals to fulfil their legislative requirements, and to develop evidence-based plans that relate to the specific educational goals of their school, in order to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.
Overview
This module is a guide for:
- principals who are new to planning and reporting
- principals with some planning and reporting experience, to help them evaluate and further develop a school's related processes and systems.
The module takes planning and reporting beyond being an exercise in compliance. It will enable you to appreciate the contribution that improving student learning throughout the school can make to your effectiveness as a school leader.
The resources are intended for both primary and secondary principals, and include a section to address the different factors encountered by kura kaupapa Māori tumuaki.
Why learn about planning and reporting?
Each school's context and needs differ. Each principal may be at a different point of capability in the planning and reporting process.
Influence
As the newly appointed principal of a school, you are in a unique position to positively influence learning for all of the students in your school. Collecting and analysing information about student learning, identifying areas for improvement, and working out how to achieve the improvements you want is one of the most effective ways you can exercise this leadership influence. This is what planning and reporting is about.
Effectiveness
As a first-time principal, becoming proficient in this influencing process will help you develop, over time, the critical professional skills and understandings of an effective principal. You will use these throughout your career.
Requirement
Planning and reporting for the improvement of teaching and learning was mandated by the Education Standards Act 2001 and is now required of all schools.
The module is designed to enable you to appreciate the contribution that planning and reporting can make to your effectiveness as a school leader and to your students' learning.
Accountability
Through planning and reporting, the principal demonstrates to the school's staff, students, board of trustees, parents, and community, and to the Ministry of Education, that the school is working to continually improve learning for all groups of students.
Planning and reporting is an essential task for all school principals, required by the Ministry of Education, and is an important way of developing a learning-centred school.
Relationship of charter, plans, and reports
Planning for, and reporting on, improving teaching and learning is an integral part of a wider planning process involving the school's charter (mission, values, and vision statements), strategic plans, and annual plans.
The relationship between the planning and reporting process is represented in the diagram below.
Diagram 1: Relationship of charter, plans, and reports
- The mission, values and vision statements cover information about the school, its vision, and how it will recognise New Zealand's cultural diversity.
- The strategic section of the charter deals with planning ahead and setting out the board of trustees' objectives for student achievement. This 3–5-year plan includes long-term priorities, financial objectives, and plans for the school's learning environment.
- The annually updated section of the school's charter is essentially the school's annual plan. It sets out short-term priorities and targets for improving student achievement. It must be updated every year.
- The action section of this diagram is not dealt with here. However, it is a vitally important part of the school's programme, and will include staffing, curriculum, timetabling, and other details of the day-to-day life of the school.
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The analysis of variance reports on actual achievements is compared with annual targets, so that appropriate improvements may be made to teaching and learning within the school.
The annual report is a report to the whole school community, including parents, caregivers, whanau, and boards of trustees.
Key questions answered by this module
This module answers these questions:
- What do I need to do, when do I need to do it, and what are the steps in the process? Go to Timeline.
- What are the features of good planning and reporting? Go to Examples.
- How have other principals and schools managed this process? Go to Stories.
- Where can I go for help? Go to Support.
- How can I build on or improve what is already in place in the school? Go to the Charter and statements.
