Hawera Christian 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

Hāwera Christian School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The roll of 50 learners includes 60% New Zealand European/Pākehā and 13% of learners identify as Māori. The school’s vision ‘To provide quality uncompromising Christ-centred education’ is underpinned by the values of Confidence, Care and Connectedness. A new Principal was appointed in 2024.

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

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 0 to 6

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.

• The small majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.

Assessment

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

• The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Assessment information is used well 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.

• The school is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school has to some extent improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school has to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is meeting Government reading; writing and mathematics targets set for 2030.

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

• Most learners progress and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. School leaders identify that continuing to accelerate the progress and achievement of all learners is an ongoing focus.
• Students learn in inclusive environments where mutual respect and trust between whānau, learners and teachers support good engagement in activities.
• Strategic planning provides a clear direction for priorities to improve student outcomes.
• Leaders and teachers strengthen and refine assessment practices to provide accurate student progress and achievement information.
• Staff are embedding structured literacy and mathematics approaches across all levels of the school.
• The capability of teachers and support staff is intentionally developed through targeted, planned professional learning.
• The School Board and leadership regularly evaluate evidence about learner progress and achievement to inform improvement priorities.

Key priorities

• Implement the school attendance plan to improve levels of attendance.
• Strengthen the use of progress and achievement data, especially for those students' requiring acceleration.
• Review and refine teaching, learning and assessment practices to align with the new curriculum requirements for structured literacy and mathematics.
• Strengthen internal evaluation for continuous improvement.
• Enhance integration of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and mātauranga Māori so staff and students grow in confidence.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders and the School Board implement a plan to monitor and improve students’ regular attendance

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers closely monitor rates of student attendance to know the impact of systems and processes, informing further school actions
• leaders and teachers monitor and report on the rates of progress and targeted actions for groups of students at risk of not achieving
• leaders and teachers review the impact of ongoing staff professional learning in structured literacy and mathematics to identify next steps
• leaders and teachers review the integration of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori across the school to support ongoing planning for improving student outcomes

Annually:

• the School Board and leaders review student attendance, progress, and achievement data to guide ongoing strategic decision-making and planning and evaluate impact of school initiatives to support continuous improvement
• leaders evaluate the progress of integrating te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori in teaching and learning.

Expected outcomes

• Increased regular student attendance.
• A strategic approach to internal evaluation that improves outcomes for all learners.
• Consistent high-quality teaching, learning and assessment practices that enhance the progress and achievement of all students.
• Staff and learners are confident in their knowledge, understanding and use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.

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 some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

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

8 September 2025