James Cook High School

School Evaluation Report

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Every New Zealand state and state integrated school has an ERO review at least once every four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.

About the school

James Cook High School is a co-educational secondary school that provides education for students in Years 9 to 13. The current roll of approximately 1800 students includes just over 37 percent who identify as Māori and 45 percent who are from Pacific heritage; Samoan, Tongan and Cook Island Māori students make up the largest Pacific nation groups.

The school provides bilingual and immersion education in Puutake Te Wāhanga Māori and bilingual Samoan language education for students in O Le Tupu’aga.

The school hosts a number of other educational provisions, including the Taonga Teen Parent Unit, Rosehill and BLENNZ Special Schools and Alternative Education.

Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement, school enrolments and school zones. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

An explanation of the terms and judgements used in this report can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office

Improvement and progress

This section is about the progress the school has made since the November 2021 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school has been working to strengthen professional leadership, including curriculum leadership to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

The school expected to see:

• annual improvement target for Years 9 and 10 students in literacy and mathematics
• improved curriculum reporting including regular reports on progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics and effective teaching strategies and practices
• continued improvement in the quality of NCEA qualifications and vocational pathway success
• the curriculum reviewed and improvements made to meet the needs and interests of students.

Some progress has been made against these areas. The school and ERO have identified that they remain areas for ongoing development.

What we know about learner success

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Less than a third 

Less than half 

Small majority 

Large majority 

Most 

Almost all 

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 65%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Learner Success and Wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

The school is beginning to improve student success. Improving achievement for students in Year 9 to 11 remains a priority.

• The small majority of students achievement National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 2 and 3, less than half achieve Level 1 and University Entrance (UE).
• The school is yet to develop a clear understanding about student progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics in Years 9 and 10.
• There is disparity in achievement for Pacific students, particularly at Level 1 and for boys in UE.
• The school does not meet the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance with less than half of students regularly attending school; improving attendance remains an urgent priority.

Conditions to support learner success

This section provides a summary of leadership, teaching, curriculum and foundation school conditions for improvement.

Leadership is developing effective systems and processes to bring about improvement.

• Changes in school leadership is positively contributing to the establishment of foundation organisational conditions to drive strategic improvement and raise student attendance, engagement and achievement.
• Leaders work together well to identify and plan for improvement; they are focused on providing cohesive and high-quality leadership and implementing initiatives that promote the wellbeing and educational outcomes of students.
• School leaders are developing better improving planning and implementation, with a focus on establishing clear, measurable outcomes that improve engagement and attendance, particularly for students most at risk of underachievement.

The school is strengthening teaching and curriculum delivery to improve engagement and achievement.

• Leaders provide increasingly effective support for teachers to improve the quality of teaching; teachers recognise the need to have higher expectations for students learning progress and achievement.
• Professional learning opportunities are provided for teachers to strengthen their practice. Developing teachers' knowledge of progress and achievement data, and its use to inform teaching and support student progress, is an area of focus.
• Students experience a settled learning environment; their language, culture and identities are valued and celebrated; however, they are yet to experience a curriculum that engages them in high interest and meaningful programmes across all learning areas to improve attendance, engagement and retention.

School conditions that underpin ongoing school improvement continue to improve.

• Leaders and teachers form educational partnerships across the school and local community to provide initiatives and resources aimed at supporting student wellbeing, attendance, and engagement at school.
• The school is actively implementing initiatives aimed at improving attendance and maximizing learning time, to foster a positive, learning-focused school culture.
• Leaders are focused on strengthening an inclusive environment to improve outcomes for all learners, including those with complex needs.
• School leaders have identified internal evaluation and the use of data for planning as priorities; they are collaborating with external providers to strengthen evaluative capability and capacity to drive school improvement.
• The School Board and leaders should continue building on recent improvements in professional leadership by planning further actions to strengthen a positive, safe school culture and environment for learning and work.

Rumaki/Bilingual Outcomes and Condition to Support Learner Success

Learner success and wellbeing

• Mokopuna are embedding positive attitudes towards te reo Māori as lifelong learners.
• Mokopuna achieved a 100% pass rate in Level 2 NCEA 2023.
• Mokopuna are excelling in an environment that reflects who they are as learners.
• Mokopuna are inspired to learn and make connections between learning opportunities and future aspirations.

Conditions to support learners

• The localised curriculum is inclusive and responsive to the aspirations of mokopuna.
• A unique junior learning programme is preparing mokopuna to confidently transition into NCEA.
• Leadership has purposefully established and developed influential leadership roles within Puutake.
• Established educational partnerships with whānau, schools, and the wider community.

Priorities for Improvement

• Embed Ngā Mātāpono to ensure the local curriculum continues to enhance learning outcomes for mokopuna.
• Continue to strengthen Puutake leadership capability and capacity to support mokopuna outcomes.
• Develop and implement a careers education plan to connect mokopuna to future pathway opportunities.

Next steps for improvement

This section provides more detail for the school to include in its strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.

Key priorities

• Improve regular attendance, engagement and retention for all students.
• Strengthen tracking systems for student achievement and attendance, particularly in Years 9 to 11.
• Establish a system of regular classroom observations to enhance the quality of teaching.
• Accelerate progress, particularly for students in Years 9 and 10 and those at risk of not achieving.
• Implement a professional learning programme that establishes high expectations and shared responsibility for improving student outcomes and achievement.
• Continue to strengthen Puutake leadership capability and capacity to support mokopuna outcomes.

Actions for to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders have plan in place to improve attendance and monitor attendance at school and within school
• senior and curriculum leaders review assessment practices and tracking to ensure they enable timely follow-up and inform teaching, planning, and reporting to meet student need
• leaders and teachers update expectations for quality teaching to better support Years 9 and 10 students and enhance overall achievement and engagement

Within six months:

• leaders review the progress of the attendance plan and adjust where needed
• senior and curriculum leaders work together to implement effective assessment practices to track and monitor progress and achievement across the school
• leaders roll out a programme of professional learning to strengthen teachers use of progress and achievement information, improve planning and the implementation of strategies that raise achievement and accelerate learning

Every six months:

• leaders review and monitor the attendance plan to improve the attendance of students who do not attend regularly and adjust where needed
• leaders work with teachers to review the success of teaching strategies to accelerate the progress of students and improve outcomes and identify areas for further support
• leaders review the use of student progress and achievement information to inform teaching and learning across all learning areas and plan next steps as required
• teachers monitor and track the progress of students in NCEA towards individual and schoolwide goals and targets and report progress

Annually:

• leaders and the School Board review and interrogate student achievement and progress information and use it to determine the next steps that will continue to improve student achievement outcomes
• curriculum leaders work with senior leaders to review the quality of teaching and assessment practices based on student success and retention data, plan and adjust programmes accordingly for ongoing improvement
• the School Board reviews student attendance to inform ongoing strategic decision making and planning for ongoing improvement to meet Government targets.

Expected outcomes 

• The school has a built a culture of high expectations for student achievement and wellbeing that is underpinned by high quality teaching, effective assessment practices and student support systems.
• Achievement outcomes are improved for all students across the school.
• Increased levels of attendance, including more students engaged in learning and staying at school for longer.
• Reliable and accurate student progress, achievement and attendance information is used to inform next steps for ongoing improvement.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education 

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider an intervention to engage specialist help as listed in section 171(1)h of the Education and Training Act 2020 to bring about the following improvement in the following:

• strengthening the quality of teaching and learning
• strengthen leadership capability and capacity across the school to deliver improvement
• improved student attendance planning, actions, monitoring and reporting to increase engagement in learning.

ERO will revisit the school early 2026 to assess progress towards improvement goals. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within four years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Sharon Kelly
Director of Schools

12 September 2025