Te Kopuru School

School 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 

Te Kopuru School is rurally located on the northern side of the Kaipara Harbour and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. Almost 80% of learners identify as Māori and the remainder mostly identify as Pākehā / New Zealand European. The school’s values are ’Tika-truth, Aroha-love and Pono-honesty ‘. 

Te Kopuru school has served its local community for nearly 150 years. A new principal was appointed in Term 2, 2025.  

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 February 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The previous ERO report identified key priorities for improvement. These included strengthening a localised and culturally responsive curriculum, building teachers’ capability in reflective practice, and enhancing te reo Māori programmes with community aspirations.

Findings 

The school has experienced a period of significant challenge, including several changes in school leadership. These changes impacted the school's progress and its priorities for improvement. Consultation with whānau and the wider community has informed meaningful changes to the school’s curriculum and supported the strengthening of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in school programmes. 

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.

Achievement in Years 1 to 8

This section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.

Attendance

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

• Less than half of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is significantly behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is reducing over time.

Assessment 

This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.

• The school is not yet using an appropriate approach or reliable practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers should improve their use of assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.

Progress

This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.

Te Kopuru School has an increasingly large number of students with complex needs.

• School leadership was unable to provide ERO with an analysis of longitudinal schoolwide achievement information to show the extent of which learners have made progress in reading, writing and mathematics. 
• The school does not have good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school is unable to identify if they are making progress towards meeting the Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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. It outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.

Areas of strength

• Leadership is establishing relational trust with teachers, students and whānau to foster collective responsibility for school improvement.
• The school provides a welcoming environment that values diversity and fosters a sense of belonging.
• Students report feeling secure and cared for at school, and positive relationships between staff and learners are evident. 
• The school meets the one hour a day requirement. Teachers are increasingly using explicit teaching strategies and structured approaches in literacy and mathematics. 
• Te Ao Māori is more visible in the school environment, staff are working to integrate culturally responsive practices into teaching and learning, this provides an increasing sense of affirmation and identity particularly for Māori learners.
• The principal pro-actively seeks support from external agencies which is beginning to create a cohesive response for teaching and learning particularly for learners with additional needs. 

Key priorities

• Approve, action and evaluate the key priorities in the strategic plan, including improving regular attendance to support ongoing improvement. 
• Implement a robust assessment schedule that aligns with new curriculum and assessment requirements. 
• Develop and implement, a coherent school-wide system for collecting, analysing, and using assessment and achievement data to inform teaching and learning and improvement planning. 
• Ensure regular monitoring and reporting of student progress to identify learners at risk and improve teaching and learning.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• the principal develops annual planning implementation plans based on the current strategic plan 
• the principal and teachers select and implement appropriate assessment tools and a schoolwide assessment schedule

Within six months:

• the principal finalises agreed schoolwide teaching, planning and assessment in literacy and mathematics aligned to curriculum requirements

Every six months:

• teachers review and report on student progress and achievement, using reliable data to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching initiatives that identify future next learning steps 
• the principal reports to the Board and community progress against the annual implementation plan including attendance and adjust accordingly

Annually:

• the principal and the school Board complete a review of student attendance, progress and achievement and curriculum initiatives and report to the community. 

Expected outcomes

• The strategic plan is embedded within school practice and guides school operations. 
• School priorities are regularly reviewed and evaluated for effectiveness and impact. 
• Consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices leads to improved outcomes for learners. 
• Improved rates of regular attendance. 

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.

Board assurance with regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.

During this review the Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of health, safety and welfare

Yes

Personnel management

Yes

Actions for compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• Employers must ensure all new, beginning, and overseas teachers complete the mandatory online training within 10 weeks of starting. 

[Education and Training Act 2020 (sections 99–101), Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2024]

Te Kopuru School Board has taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider intervention for leadership support as listed in section 171(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020 to bring about the following improvements in: 

• implement and evaluate the key priorities in the strategic plan, including improving regular attendance
• implement a robust assessment schedule that aligns with new curriculum and assessment requirements 
• implement a coherent school-wide system for using achievement data to inform teaching and learning
• regularly monitor and report of student progress to identify learners at risk and improve their learning outcomes.

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School 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

24 March 2026