Adventure 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 stage 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

Adventure School, located in Whitby, Porirua, provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school has a roll of 485 students. 70% of students identify as Pākehā | New Zealand European. 22% of students identify as being of Asian ethnicity, 11% as Māori and 8% are of other ethnicities. A new principal was appointed in Term 1, 2023. The school’s mantra, the Adventure Way, empowers learners to seek their own path through being curious, creative, collaborative, self-aware and self-directed. 

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 August 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

The school focused on evaluating how effectively schoolwide systems and processes improved student achievement through building collective leadership capacity and teachers’ knowledge and practice.

Expected Improvements

The school expected to see improved achievement for all learners through effective learning interventions in mathematics and in literacy. They prioritised building leadership capability, and growth of teacher practice and knowledge. The school improved systems and processes to help leaders, teachers, and staff deliver targeted learning programmes.

Findings

Deliberate and targeted learning interventions have resulted in accelerated progress for identified groups of learners. School achievement information shows evidence of acceleration for most learners in reading and mathematics.

The newly formed leadership team is developing a schoolwide culture committed to enacting quality teaching with high expectations of learner outcomes. Evaluation evidence focuses on strengthening teacher practice and learner achievement are used to measure the effectiveness of recently redeveloped systems and processes.

Appropriate and aligned indicators of progress are being developed to strengthen strategic planning, ensure greater consistency of expectations and to support improved achievement. 

Other Findings

During the evaluation it was found that student achievement improved in literacy and mathematics as teaching practices, systems and processes were strengthened and aligned. The growth in staff collective responsibility for students’ success and progress has led to improved outcomes for every learner.

What we know about learner success

This is a summary of learner success, which guides the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

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.

Outcomes are improving for most learners.

• Most learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading and mathematics, while a large majority achieve at or above in writing. Māori and Pacific learners are achieving as well as their peers.
• Achievement levels in mathematics and reading have been sustained over time. Leaders and teachers continue to strengthen literacy programmes for boys, with a focus on writing.
• The school has made progress towards, but is not yet meeting, the Government’s target of 80% regular attendance. This remains a focus for the school.

Conditions to support learner success

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

Leadership increasingly fosters and supports high expectations for quality teaching, improved achievement and wellbeing.

• Leaders build a culture of effective collaboration where shared expectations of quality teaching practice promote student progress and achievement. This supports the achievement of the school’s strategic vision and improvement goals.
• Leaders use a range of high-quality evidence to monitor schoolwide achievement and evaluate how well strategies and interventions improve outcomes for learners.
• Targeted schoolwide professional learning deepens teachers’ knowledge, aligns their practices, and prioritises improved achievement and wellbeing.

Teachers use evidence-based teaching strategies to provide purposeful and well-paced learning opportunities.

• Teachers increasingly use learning strategies that enable learners to think critically, and problem solve.
• Teachers create a well-organised and collaborative classroom environment where learning time is maximised, and mutually respectful relationships are fostered.
• Learners needing additional support are identified promptly and are provided with relevant, individualised and effective support to learn and make progress.

School conditions for improvement are increasingly informed by evidence and information gathered from partnerships with the school’s community.

• The Board represents and works with whānau and the community to guide the school’s strategic direction and prioritises raising student achievement and wellbeing.
• Leaders and staff are working with key community leaders and whānau to develop a rich localised curriculum that builds knowledge and use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.
• Parents and whānau are valued and respected partners in learning. They are well informed and are offered many opportunities to support and actively participate in their child’s learning.

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 actions for improvement.

Key priorities

• Plan and implement a schoolwide professional learning focus on writing.
• Promote student engagement and achievement and embed consistent, high quality teacher practice.
• Develop schoolwide assessment expectations for reading, writing and mathematics.
• Continue to strengthen the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori learning across the school.
• Continue to work towards meeting the government’s regular attendance target.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• the Board and leaders develop an implementation plan to guide teacher professional learning focused on strengthening learner engagement, achievement and acceleration in writing, particularly for boys
• leaders undertake a thorough review of schoolwide assessment in reading, writing and mathematics and use this information to develop aligned assessment practices and expectations
• leaders review the delivery of te reo Māori, tikanga and mātauranga Māori learning across the school and develop a plan that will strengthen and sustain the capability of staff and students

Every six months:

• leaders review the effectiveness of teachers’ professional practice through classroom observations and learners’ achievement in writing
• leaders monitor and report on the development of schoolwide assessment expectations to the Board
• leaders continue to measure the improved use and capability of staff and learners in te reo Māori, tikanga and mātauranga Māori through observations and teacher and student reflections
• leaders review and improve attendance strategies to support increased regular attendance

Annually:

• the School Board and leaders analyse schoolwide achievement in writing, including that of identified learners, and use this data to plan actions to improve the achievement and learning outcomes of all students
• the School Board work with leaders to review the progress of schoolwide assessment, identify initiatives that have been most successful and use this information for schoolwide strategic planning
• leaders review and assess capability in te reo Māori, tikanga and mātauranga Māori learning across the school and plan next steps
• leaders and the Board continue to review and report on successful strategies to increase regular attendance.

Expected outcomes

• Improved achievement outcomes and accelerated progress for all learners particularly in writing.
• Robust assessment systems and processes that inform teachers’ planning and practice and support all learners to know how well they are achieving and what they need to learn next.
• Strengthened capability of staff and learners in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.
• Increased levels of regular school attendance that meet or exceeds the Government’s target. 

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 

1 October 2025