Dawson 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

Dawson School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. Of the 315 students on the roll, 81% are of Pacific heritage, 16% are Māori and 6% New Zealand/Pākehā students. The school’s vision is Whakaaro tēnei rā, Hoatu āpōpō, Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow. The values are: Truthful I Tika; Whanau Together I Whakawhānaungatanga; Love I Aroha; Respectful I Manaakitanga; and Safe I Āhuatanga.

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

Expected improvements

The school focused on evaluating how well how effectively teaching and learning programmes promote oral language and accelerate learning outcomes for all learners. The school expected to see teachers using a systematic approach to strengthen evaluation, teachers and whānau setting challenging and appropriate goals for oral language learning and students making accelerated progress.

Findings 

The use of data and other information to inform strategic direction and annual implementation planning has improved. A focus on building teaching capability and learner outcomes is evident. Internal evaluation has been strengthened to inform school priorities. 

A focus on building confidence and skills in oral language, particularly in Years 1 and 2, has seen significant gains for learners. Their progress is well monitored and teaching responds to assessment information. Learner outcomes in reading and mathematics have improved. 

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.

Almost all learners enter Dawson School significantly behind the expected curriculum level. The school’s efforts are well focused on accelerated progress. Approximately a third of the school have English as their second language.

Achievement in Years 1 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.

• Less than half of students attend school regularly. 
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance. 
• The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is not reducing over time. 

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.
• Teachers are developing their use of assessment information 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 making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and 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

• Students’ cultures are valued and acknowledged in daily school life. They have many opportunities to build on their interests and develop capabilities through a curriculum that includes a strong sustainability focus, education outside the classroom and the performing arts. Their sense of belonging is evident. 
• Teachers are well supported to develop capability. They collaboratively implement structured literacy, with continued focus on oral language skill building in Years 1 to 3. Significant progress is evident for this group of learners. 
• Teachers use and build on effective teaching and learning strategies that engage learners and support their sense of success.
• Leaders are supportive and collectively promote the school’s inclusive kaupapa of whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga. Students’ views on active participation and their wellbeing are used to inform improvements for engagement in learning. 
• The views of parents and staff are actively sought to inform key improvement priorities, such as attendance. Feedback is used to identify crucial needs and actions to facilitate family engagement for improved regular attendance. 

Key priorities

• Effective teaching of writing is understood and embedded.
• Analysed progress and achievement data for all year levels, for sharper response to students’ learning needs in reading, writing and mathematics. 
• Developing a cohesive, overall school picture of student achievement with clear identification of equity outcomes (gender and ethnicity) in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The attendance plan fully implemented.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers develop a shared understanding of the effective teaching of writing and implement agreed approaches
• leaders ensure analysed achievement data is available for all year levels, with gender and ethnicity breakdowns; monitor the responses to this data to address equity outcomes 
• leaders and teachers implement the attendance plan, involving and familiarising the school’s community with the strategies

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers monitor and evaluate the extent to which the teaching of writing has improved learner progress and achievement 
• leaders and teachers clearly analyse progress and achievement data for all year levels, with clear outlines of subsequent teaching responses
• leaders and teachers evaluate, report and respond to the impact of the attendance plan in improving students’ regular attendance; the outcomes are reported to the School Board and community

Annually:

• leaders and teachers evaluate schoolwide, the impact on learner outcomes of improved teaching capability in writing 
• leaders report to the School Board clearly analysed schoolwide achievement data that shows how well equity in outcomes is addressed and the trajectory of improvement in reading, writing and mathematics
• leaders and teachers report on the impact of the attendance plan in improving students’ regular attendance to inform further strategic planning. 

Expected outcomes

• Effective teaching of writing embedded schoolwide.
• Improved and equitable learner outcomes in reading writing and mathematics.
• Analysed progress and achievement data at all year levels informing teaching and learning.
• Comprehensive, well analysed schoolwide achievement data that informs school decision making. 
• Students attending school regularly. 

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

23 March 2026