Opononi Area 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.

Context 

Opononi Area School is in the Hokianga region of Northland. The school is focused on growing learners who are connected to and participate in the local community as mana whenua. A new senior leadership team has been established in 2024.

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation. 

Part B: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Significant areas for improvement were identified in the October 2023 ERO report. A Limited Statutory Manager was appointed by the Ministry of Education in October 2023 to support the board in relation to employment and curriculum management, including teaching and assessment. 

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see improvements in:

• Professional leadership that enables consistency in quality teaching practices including assessment and curriculum development to increase student engagement and learning outcomes.
• School governance meeting legislative requirements including targeted annual and strategic planning that improves attendance, teaching practices and student outcomes.

What was found:

• Focused professional leadership is needed to improve the quality and consistency of teaching including reliable schoolwide achievement data that accurately shows students’ progress and achievement.
• Year 11 to 13 National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) declined in 2024 compared with improved 2023 results except for NCEA Level 2, which increased.
• A suitable board policy and procedure framework is in place; the board should focus on ensuring the 2025 annual plan supports leadership for high quality teaching and improved student outcomes.
• Students’ regular attendance remains of concern with a significant drop in the latter half of 2024 after earlier improvements in 2024.

Other Findings

The board have worked constructively with the Limited Statutory Manager to improve their governance practices. This included appointing a new school leadership team in 2024. School leaders have identified key areas for improvement including increasing learning opportunities and student outcomes.

Part B: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• Schoolwide assessment data in reading, writing and mathematics for Years 1 to 10 is not yet reliable; improving students’ rates of progress and achievement continues to be a priority for the board, leaders and teachers.
• National Certificates of Achievement (NCEA) results in Level 2 lifted in 2024 but declined in the literacy and numeracy co-requisites and in NCEA Levels 1 and 3 compared with much improved 2023 results; lifting students NCEA qualifications remains a priority.
• Regular student attendance declined significantly by the end of 2024 after an earlier lift; targeted strategies are required to meet the Government’s target for regular attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

• The school leadership team is focused on improving school conditions to support positive schoolwide relationships and increasing students’ positive participation in learning.
• Leaders have begun to set targets for learners at risk of underachievement by putting more specific learning support strategies and programmes in place.
• Educationally focused partnerships and relationships with the wider community are developing; this includes senior students accessing a broader curriculum and wider vocational pathways.

• Leaders and teachers are taking steps to accelerate the progress of students not yet at curriculum expectations; improving student progress and achievement remain key leadership priorities.
• There is an increasing focus on supporting learners to gain foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics, and this remains a key strategic priority.
• The curriculum is beginning to promote a sense of belonging and identity through local histories and learning contexts.
• Learners and teachers understand their role in giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through student's participation in schoolwide te reo Māori programmes, tikanga Māori and in the development of approaches reflective of te ao Māori.

• The school board worked constructively with the LSM to develop school’s policies and procedures that are fit for purpose, promote student’s wellbeing and monitor health and safety.
• A planned approach to school planning for improvement is developing; this need to be guided by reliable achievement data, evidence of progress and ongoing monitoring and evaluation by leaders.
• Leaders and teachers are working establish stronger community partnerships to engage external support agencies including increased access to counselling support for learners.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• establish reliable schoolwide assessment systems to generate progress and achievement information to guide effective teaching practices, curriculum development and strategic priorities focused on improving learning opportunities and student outcomes
• embed primary school structured literacy and implement structured mathematics programmes in conjunction with staff professional development and staff growth cycles
• ensuring students achieve NCEA co-requisites in literacy and numeracy and NCEA qualifications as a basis for improving senior students' success in accessing future education and employment pathways
• increase regular attendance to increase students' engagement in learning and meet the government attendance targets.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers to complete the planning and implementation of primary school structured literacy and mathematics programmes
• leaders to restructure systems in the school to ensure learner needs are identified and differing levels of support are planned for and monitor for success, including programmes for NCEA students
• leaders continue to monitor and report on the impact of staff professional development for primary school structured literacy and mathematics on teaching and learning
• leaders and staff develop and implement targeted approaches to improve regular student attendance including personalised supports for students

Within six months:

• develop a schoolwide guideline for effective teaching practice and implement a strengthened professional growth cycle for teachers focused on using strategies that have the most impact on accelerating student outcomes
• leaders review and consolidate school assessment tools and moderation to develop reliable schoolwide assessment information
• leaders to regularly review, monitor and report on secondary aged students' progress and achievement in NCEA qualification programmes to ensure students experience success and access to future pathways
• leaders complete the review and refresh of the reporting of students’ progress and achievement to whānau

Every six months:

• teachers and leaders will work collaboratively to understand and use assessment information to inform effective teaching and learning practice and their impact on learners schoolwide
• leaders report learner achievement in literacy and mathematics to the board and whānau, including NCEA co-requisites and progress towards reaching a NCEA qualifications
• leaders monitor and provide feedback about teaching practice as part of the professional growth cycle to increase consistency in the quality of teaching
• leaders continue to review and report to the board strategies that increase regular attendance, engagement and retention

Annually:

• leaders evaluate and report to the board the impact of structured teaching approaches on reading, writing, and mathematics on learner outcomes to inform strategic improvement priorities
• leaders evaluate and report on the reliability and use of student achievement information on effective teaching practice in the primary and secondary areas of the school
• leaders and teachers evaluate and report on the impact of initiatives focused on lifting regular attendance, engagement, senior student retention and learning outcomes, including school leaver’s qualifications.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

• reliable schoolwide student achievement that shows accelerated progress and achievement of students in Year 1 to 10 and increased NCEA qualifications levels and success
• structured literacy and mathematics that improve the consistency, quality and impact of teaching in the primary area of the school
• improved NCEA teaching and learning programmes, including NCEA results and pathways
• improved student attendance to meet the Government’s regular attendance target and a reduction in chronic absences.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education convene a case meeting with the board and LSM. This will enable key stakeholders to discuss the best way forward to bring about the following school improvements in:

• enacting of the school’s annual and strategic plan to accelerate student achievement through consistent and high-quality teaching and learning, reliable assessment information and planning
• teaching practices from targeted teacher professional development in structured literacy and mathematics, and relevant teaching and learning programmes for senior students in Years 9 to 13
• regular student attendance to increase students' engagement in learning and to meet the Government target by 2030.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within three 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 (Acting)

27 May 2025

About the School

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