Huntly College

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

Huntly College is located in Rāhui Pōkeka (Huntly) which is described as the heart of the Kīngitanga movement. It provides education for students in Years 9 to 13. The school is guided by its core values of whanaungatanga (relationships), manaakitanga (care), kaitiakitanga (respect), and rangatiratanga (leadership). Huntly College is located in Rāhui Pōkeka (Huntly) which is described as the heart of the Kīngitanga movement.

A Ministry of Education Specialist Advisor, initiated by the board, started working with the school in June 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 March 2024 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

Huntly College evaluated the effectiveness of its attendance plan and processes on promoting regular attendance and improving learner outcomes, including how the schools’ partnerships with whānau and the wider community help reduce barriers and enhance learner success.

Findings

The school has made some progress in improving regular attendance. Leaders are working to develop and implement robust attendance policies and processes. Strengthening partnerships with whānau and the community remains a key focus, with targeted actions and a new strategic plan aimed at enhancing engagement and reducing barriers to learning.

What we know about learner success 

This section provides a summary of learner success, wellbeing and foundation school conditions, including any education in Rumaki/Reo Rua settings. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Learner success and wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• In 2024, less than a third of students achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Level 2, 3 and less than a third of students achieve University Entrance (UE). A large majority of students achieve literacy and numeracy by the end of NCEA Level 3.
• By the end of Year 10, less than a third of students are achieving at or above the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of students.
• Less than a third of students attend school regularly. Improving student achievement and regular attendance is a key priority for school leaders. 

Conditions to support learner success

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

• The Huntly College School Board and school leaders have begun working to address the key priority areas for improvement identified in this report.
• Prioritising the development and embedding of strategic and annual planning is essential to effectively guide school improvement.
• Leaders recently developed a consistent approach to classroom observations to strengthen consistency of teaching practice and improve learner outcomes. This remains a key priority for improvement.

• Leaders prioritise working with staff to establish a culture of high expectations, aiming to enhance student success, improve attendance, and ensure equitable access to meaningful learning and pathways.
• School leaders are beginning to use achievement data to inform decision making and guide improvement planning.
• Professional learning has focused on accelerating achievement for Years 9 and 10 in literacy and mathematics. Initial data indicates that this has had a positive impact. Extending this focus to NCEA achievement to improve outcomes for all learners is a priority. 

• School leaders are reviewing, developing and implementing policies and procedures to strengthen school-wide systems that support coherent and sustained improvement.
• Systems and processes for identifying, tracking, and monitoring students with additional learning needs are being developed to ensure the provision of high-quality learning support and improved outcomes for these learners.
• Leadership and the board are beginning to actively engage with whānau, hapū and iwi; the school recognises this as a next step to enhance learning partnerships.
• Student feedback is increasingly gathered and responded to, with initial steps taken to use it to inform decisions around curriculum design and cultural 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. It identifies key priorities and actions for improvement.

Key priorities

• Strengthen leadership capability to bring about improvement and sustain effective school-wide systems and processes including:
  • strengthen systems and strategies to improve student attendance, ensuring consistent monitoring and targeted responses to address barriers
  • improving processes for the collection, analysis, and use of assessment data to inform teaching, track progress, and support equitable outcomes for all learners
  • development of strategic and annual planning that explicitly prioritise school-wide improvement and improving student outcomes
  • building teacher capability and promote consistency of effective teaching practice across the school
  • enhance curriculum and timetable design to provide rich learning opportunities and strengthen access to meaningful pathways that support student engagement.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• school leaders and the Board develop and implement an effective attendance plan and procedures
• leaders and the Board identify leadership needs and plan for development to support delivery of improvement plans in line with strategic and government targets
• school leaders and the Board strengthen strategic and annual planning to prioritise improvement in student outcomes
• leaders and teachers develop an effective teacher profile and implement a teacher observation framework that ensures consistency of practice across the school
• leaders and teachers review the curriculum, course and timetable design to determine where additional enriching learning opportunities could be included

Within six months:

• school leaders and the Board review the attendance plan and procedures, identify areas for further improvement and plan next steps
• school leaders review the impact of leadership on outcomes and identify areas for further development
• leaders and teachers start implementing additional enriching learning opportunities through the curriculum, course and timetable design

Every six months:

• school leaders review and refine attendance plan to increase regular attendance
• leaders review data, analyse results and progress of overall achievement for all learners and adjust teaching and learning as needed
• leaders and the Board review progress towards strategic and annual improvement planning targets, identify areas for improvement plan for the next six months
• curriculum leaders and teachers review and evaluate the effectiveness of internal course design and pathways to better support learner outcomes

Annually:

• school leaders and the Board review progress in student attendance, using data to identify trends and inform targeted actions and share with the school community
• school leaders and the school Board evaluate and refine annual plans and targets, analyse student achievement data and collaboratively develop strategic planning to improve outcomes for all learners
• leaders review and refine the teaching observation framework to strengthen consistency and effectiveness of teaching schoolwide for continuous improvement
• curriculum leaders and teachers evaluate and enhance courses and pathways to increase learner engagement, develop further opportunities and raise overall achievement.

Expected outcomes

• Significantly improved student attendance and achievement towards government targets.
• Strengthened leadership with a clear understanding of progress, informed decision-making, and continuous improvement toward achieving strategic goals.
• Improved strategic and annual planning, including regular reporting to Board on progress made toward improving student regular attendance and achievement.
• Consistent high quality teaching practices that demonstrate a clear focus on improvement, aligned with the Professional Growth Cycle.
• A rich and responsive curriculum, with meaningful pathways that promote learner engagement and contribute to improved academic achievement.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education 

ERO recommends that the board maintain ongoing support from the Specialist Advisor to effectively address the key improvement priorities identified in this report.

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

15 January 2026