Buckland 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

Buckland School is located in the semi-rural village of Buckland, between Pukekohe and Tuakau. The school provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The roll is currently 260 of which 60% identify as Pākehā/New Zealand European, 23% as Māori, 11% as Asian and 4% of Pacific heritage. The school’s values are Respect | Kia U, Resilience | Kia Manawanui and Responsibility | Kia Mau.

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 school evaluated how effective the local curriculum design was improving equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. The school expected to see the localised curriculum reflecting the aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi and supporting equitable outcomes for learners.

Findings

School leaders and teachers worked closely with the Kāhui Ako and mana whenua Ngāti Tamaoho to design a localised curriculum that strengthens te reo Māori and tikanga Māori across teaching and learning programmes. Staff engage in ongoing professional development in te reo Māori, and te reo Māori lessons are an established feature of the learning timetable. Upholding tikanga Māori and supporting Māori learners to progress and achieve remains a key focus.

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.

• The large 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 uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to 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 has 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 making progress towards meeting 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

• Learners express a strong sense of belonging to their school and are confident and positive about their learning. Learners are provided with authentic and relevant learning opportunities, enriched by the involvement of whānau and the community.
• Teachers demonstrate deep knowledge of their learners’ strengths and needs, fostering respectful and responsive relationships that enhance learner engagement and wellbeing. This knowledge ensures that teaching is characterised by explicit instruction, purposeful scaffolding, and a strong focus on learner progress.
• Learners benefit from a well-resourced and engaging curriculum that provides consistent structured approaches to the teaching of literacy and mathematics.
• The school maintains positive partnerships with whānau and the wider community, fostering active engagement in both consultation and decision-making processes, contributing to a culture of inclusivity and shared responsibility.
• An established and strategic leadership team sets high expectations for learner outcomes and prioritises coherent organisational systems that support continuous improvement. Intentional and responsive professional development opportunities are well aligned to staff and learner needs.

Key priorities

• Build learners’ ability to identify their own learning goals, engage in self-assessment, and determine their next steps for progress and achievement.
• Embed teaching and learning practices that promote te ao Māori and support learner success, with a lens on Māori learners.
• Strengthen the use of internal evaluation to monitor the impact of planned priorities on learner progress and achievement, increasing equity in learner outcomes.
• Further strengthen strategies that improve all students’ regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers explore approaches that include developing a shared language, frameworks and self-assessment tools to enable learners to determine their own learning goals and next steps

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers plan and implement approaches that strengthen te ao Māori, with a focus on success for Māori learners
• leaders and teachers evaluate the effectiveness of learning programmes and teaching approaches to ensure these improve outcomes for all learners
• leaders and teachers monitor and review attendance strategies, identifying next steps

Annually:

• the school Board and leaders review the progress and achievement of all learners in reading, writing and mathematics to identify improvement goals and future actions
• leaders and teachers evaluate how well teaching approaches support learners to engage in self-assessment and positively impact progress and achievement.

Expected outcomes

• Increasingly equitable and excellent outcomes for all groups of learners.
• Learners actively participating in the learning process and holding high expectations for their own learning.
• 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

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

5 December 2025