Te Puke High 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 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 Puke High School is a co-educational secondary school for students in Years 9 to 13 in the Bay of Plenty with a roll of 1100 students. The school recently adopted an enrolment scheme to manage roll growth. 40% of students identify as Pākehā | New Zealand European, 36% as Māori and 18% as Asian. The school values are Respect - Ngākau Whakaute, Responsibility - Takohanga, Relationships - Whanaungatanga, Resilience - Aumangea and Realising Potential - Mana Tiketike.

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

The judgments in this section are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation. 

Learner success and wellbeing 

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. 

• The large majority of learners are below the expected curriculum level by the end of Year 10. However, many learners enter the school well below expected curriculum levels and make progress between Years 9 and 10 in reading, writing and mathematics.
• A large majority of students achieve National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 literacy and most achieved Level 1 numeracy requirements in 2024.
• Most students achieve NCEA Level 2, a large majority achieve NCEA Levels 1 and 3. Less than half of students achieve University Entrance.
• Improving equity for Māori and male students’ outcomes remain a priority for the school.
• The small majority of students attend school regularly. The school has yet to reach the Government's regular attendance target of 80%.

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Leadership strengthens relational trust and fosters strong collaboration at every level of the school and community to enhance learner outcomes.
• The school promotes an inclusive culture. Staff implement effective systems to address the varied needs of an increasingly diverse student population.
• Respectful relationships between teachers and students reinforce high standards, and consistent teaching approaches and expectations support learners to engage in learning.

• Teachers track and monitor student achievement well and use targeted interventions to support students at risk of not achieving.
• Students access a wide range of vocational pathway opportunities that allow them to gain work experience and pursue further training through community partnerships.
• Teachers increasingly apply high quality teaching strategies to deliver purposeful, well-paced learning opportunities. The school aims to further strengthen culturally responsive practices.
• Curriculum and timetable developments better meet learners’ needs and offer teachers more opportunities to mentor and support students and maximise academic learning time.

• The School Board provide strong governance and is representative of the school community, students and mana whenua. The school community is actively involved in guiding the strategic direction.
• Strong relationships between the school and its wider community reinforce partnerships and connections with industry, employers and other support networks for students.
• Staff professional development is aligned to the schools' strategic improvement priorities for building high quality teacher practices as the foundation for improving student outcomes. 

Rumaki/Reo Rua Outcomes and Condition to Support Learner Success

This section is about the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of te reo Māori. 

Tamariki success and wellbeing

• A large majority of ākonga in Years 9 and 10, achieved National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) level 1 literacy, while a small majority achieved level 1 numeracy in 2024. Ākonga engage in specialist subjects in the wider school to support their learning programmes.
• Culturally responsive practice that promotes tuakana-teina relationships and cultural concepts of te reo and tikanga Māori, enable ākonga to access and experience the full breadth of the curriculum through a te ao Māori lens.
• Leadership, governance, and kaiako are committed to sustaining a positive learning environment for ākonga in Te Ara Poutama. Ākonga actively participate in a learning environment that affirms their identity, culture, and sense of belonging, promoting positive wellbeing and individual growth.

Where to next

• Strengthen Māori medium immersion teaching and assessment practices aligned to the refreshed Te Marautanga o Aotearoa curriculum, to improve ākonga outcomes through the provision of te reo Māori.
• Develop explicit actions to develop the capacity and capability of teaching within Te Ara Poutama to grow and sustain a reo Māori rumaki pathway.
• Develop a plan to deepen whānau engagement and grow authentic relationships through regular hui and shared decision-making.
• Strengthen partnerships and networks with external organisations that provides opportunities for ākonga to pathway into further education, training and employment that embraces a te ao Māori worldview.

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

• Increase rates of regular attendance, progress and achievement for all learners.
• Embed culturally responsive teaching practices across the school.
• Strengthen the analysis and reporting of achievement information.
• Improve the reporting of student achievement information to support the School Board to monitor improvements and inform planning.
• Develop the capacity and capability of teaching within Te Ara Poutama to grow and sustain a reo Māori rumaki pathway.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers evaluate the effectiveness of current attendance strategies and outcomes and adjust approaches as required
• leaders and the Board review how well they are engaging with local iwi and how the school is honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi to promote engagement and attendance
• leaders examine the effectiveness of responsive teaching practices across the school and make necessary adjustments to teacher professional learning and development planning
• leaders and teachers review and make necessary changes to how junior achievement, NCEA and other outcomes data is reported to the Board

Every six months:

• leaders review, report and monitor the impact of strategies and initiatives to raise attendance and continue to adjust these as required
• leaders report to the Board on junior achievement, NCEA achievement, equity outcomes and other progress, wellbeing and achievement data to inform Board decision making

Annually:

• the School Board report to the community on the progress made towards meeting the Government regular attendance target of 80%
• leaders and the Board report on the progress made in enhancing relationships with local iwi and the effectiveness of those relationships in improving outcomes for students
• the Board and leaders evaluate the progress made in embedding responsive teaching practices throughout the curriculum and the impact on student progress and engagement to guide decision making
• the Board and leaders use progress and achievement data to inform decision making and planning to improve learner outcomes.

Expected outcomes

• Improved attendance, engagement and achievement for all learners.
• Positive and enduring relationships with local iwi as significant partners with the school.
• High quality responsive teaching practices contribute to improved student achievement across the school.
• Progress and achievement data is regularly reported to the Board and informs improvement plans.

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

6 October 2025