Edmund Hillary 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 

Edmund Hillary School situated in Papakura provides education for to 217 students in Years 1 to 8. Most students are Māori or Pacific heritage. The school has strong links to Papakura Marae and is located within the rohe of Ngāti Tamaoho. The school motto Be determined, aim high encourages students to excel and reach their full potential.

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

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.

How well are learners succeeding?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning?Learners benefit from good quality teaching practice that improves progress and achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics. How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs?

Learners have rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is a consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in literacy and mathematics.

Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.

How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement?School planning and conditions to support ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school successfully promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?

The school reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school responds well to a wide range of information gathered through community consultation, to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Student Health and SafetyThe school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.

Achievement in Years 0 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.

Less than a third

Less than half

Small majority

Large majority

Most

Almost all

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 64%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is not yet 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 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 not 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/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030. 

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

• The school has well established and long-standing relationships with iwi, hapū, community, local business partners, various trusts, and the Papakura Kāhui Ako that support the provision of rich and varied learning opportunities for students.
• Teachers support students to value and understand their unique place in the world through going opportunities to celebrate demonstrate their rich culture and identity to promote engagement in learning.
• The school values of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, rangatiratanga, and kaitiakitanga are deeply embedded throughout the school and promote and inclusive learning environment.
• The school benefits from strong teacher collaboration and active involvement in decision-making related to curriculum, professional development with a clear focus on improving student achievement.
• The principal is highly focused and effectively supported by senior leaders. Leaders are highly responsive to the learning needs of their students and community. 

Key priorities 

• Improve student outcomes with an emphasis on improving achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics, particularly for learners in Years 1, 2, and 3.
• Improve student attendance through actively implementing the school’s Attendance Plan and monitoring regular attendance.
• Strengthen engagement with whānau by creating more meaningful opportunities for parents to engage and participate in their child’s learning.
• Develop a comprehensive and well-structured plan to effectively implement in structured literacy and mathematics. 

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• provide targeted professional development for all teachers of Years 1, 2, and 3 through the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) programme
• provide all support staff training in Tier 2 of BSLA to enable them to better assist learners who require additional literacy support
• undertake a review of specific components of the current attendance plan to evaluate its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement in promoting regular attendance
• identify strategies to provide whānau additional support and establish regular, culturally responsive communication to active participation in their children’s learning
• maintain ongoing professional development opportunities for staff to support high-quality teaching and learning practices that improve student outcomes

Within six months: 

• identify, plan and implement innovative, culturally responsive strategies to actively engage whānau in school life, such as māra kai workshops, cultural celebration days, and other inclusive community events

Every six months:

• collect meaningful data and feedback from whānau to better understand their perspectives and inform future planning
• review classroom teaching practices to ensure structured literacy and structured mathematics are being implemented and used across the school
• review students’ progress information to measure the impact of structured approaches in literacy and mathematics introduced through professional learning and development (PLD)

Annually:

• evaluate and report on the teachers and support staff delivery of quality literacy programmes
• plan and attend Kāhui Ako workshops on attendance; work with other schools to analyse and understand the data and plan next steps
• plan deliberate ways to work with assist whānau to support them to gain skills and confidence to support the learning needs of their tamariki
• evaluate the effectiveness of the structured literacy and structured maths programmes; include teachers and learners feedback to inform future planning.

Expected outcomes 

• Structured literacy and structured mathematics strategies embedded across the school that by provide clear and consistent teaching to promote students’ success.
• Improved literacy levels, including reading and writing skills that support student across all learning areas of the curriculum.
• Increased regular attendance at school to support achievement and engagement.
• Strengthened learning partnerships with whānau that support students’ learning at school and at home.

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

28 November 2025