Ferguson Intermediate (Otara)

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 

Ferguson Intermediate in Ōtara, South Auckland provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. The roll is 420; 82% of students identify as Pacific heritage, 19% as Māori and 9% as Asian. The school’s vision of Excellence through working as one is supported by the values of Mana | Respect, Haumarutanga | Safety, Haepapatanga | Responsibility and Manawaroa | Resilience. 

The school includes two bilingual units: Te Piringa Reo provides te reo Māori bilingual learning; Fotua’I Mo Lou Lumana’i provides Samoan bilingual learning. 

A Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) has been working with the school since September 2025. 

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 December 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school evaluated how effectively leaders and teachers used achievement and engagement information to implement strategies that accelerate the progress and achievement of all learners. 

The school expected to see teachers consistently use engagement and achievement data to respond to learning needs and support accelerated progress and achievement. They also expected to see strong learning-focused partnerships between learners, teachers and families/whānau.

Findings 

The school made some progress in strengthening partnerships between learners, teachers and families/whānau.

Leaders and teachers are yet to consistently gather, analyse and use engagement and achievement information to inform planning and accelerate student progress. ERO was unable to verify the extent to which student outcomes have improved since the previous ERO report. 

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 7 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.

• Less than half of learners attend school regularly.
• 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 reducing over time. 

Assessment

This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.

• The school is not yet using an appropriate approach or reliable practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers should improve 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.

• School leadership was unable to provide ERO with an analysis of schoolwide achievement information over time to show the extent to which learners have made progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The school is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school is unable to identify if they are making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau 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 an appreciation and pride for their school and community that supports their sense of belonging. They speak positively about a school environment that values their language, culture and identity.
• A committed staff foster calm and settled learning environments that enable learners to experience positive relationships with their teachers.
• Teachers know their learners well. Collaborative planning supports shared approaches, resulting in teaching that promotes positive classroom experiences.
• Learners have opportunities to learn skills and knowledge that extend beyond the school gates with involvement in different external events and competitions.
• The school develops strong community partnerships and close connections to local cultural and community groups. The school Board reflects the school community and is highly visible and accessible.

Key priorities

• Improve and accelerate student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Embed structured approaches to the teaching of literacy and mathematics.
• Develop clear, cohesive schoolwide internal evaluation systems and assessment practices to ensure reliable progress and achievement data.
• Improve the collection, analysis and use of assessment data to inform quality teaching and learning, strategic planning and improvement priorities.
• Improve regular attendance and reduce chronic absences.  

Actions to bring about improvement 

These actions will be supported through collaboration with the Limited Statutory Manager to ensure sustainable improvement and effective governance oversight.

Within three months:

• the principal and senior leadership team establish clarity and cohesion around their leadership approach to support a consistent improvement-focused culture
• leaders strengthen their data literacy skills to develop collective understanding that informs reporting and ongoing improvement
• leaders develop a robust schoolwide internal evaluation framework to guide improvement planning
• leaders implement and monitor the attendance action plan to inform next steps

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers formalise schoolwide expectations for curriculum planning, assessment and delivery
• leaders identify teachers’ strengths and development needs and provide professional learning where required
• the Board, leaders and teachers build shared understanding and implement systems for internal evaluation that improve learner engagement, progress and achievement

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review the consistency of teaching, learning and assessment practices in literacy and mathematics, and the impact on progress and achievement to inform planning and next steps
• leaders review and report to the Board on analysed student progress and achievement information to identify further actions
• leaders and teachers review the implementation and impact of internal evaluation on learner progress and achievement outcomes
• leaders monitor and report to the Board on the impact of strategies to improve regular attendance for all learners, identify next steps and share with the community

Annually:

• the Board and leaders review and refine systems supporting internal evaluation at every level of the school to bring about improvement
• the Board and leaders review attendance, progress and achievement data for all learners to inform ongoing strategic planning and decision making.

Expected outcomes

• Accelerated progress and achievement outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Consistent teaching, learning and assessment practices embedded schoolwide.
• Embedded systems and processes for internal evaluation that support ongoing and continuous improvement.
• Improved rates of regular attendance for all learners.

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

Actions for Compliance

ERO has identified the following area for improvement:

• the Board and principal follow the documented policy and procedures for dealing with complaints to adequately support complainants and the school to reach satisfactory resolution of complaints.

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• the Board must obtain Police vets of non-teaching and unregistered employees and contractors in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 4 
  [s104 Education and Training Act 2020]
• every safety check of a person must comply with the requirements for safety checks for core workers or for non-core workers (as appropriate) prescribed by this section and by regulations made under section 32
  [s31 Children’s Act 2014]
• ensure that an adequate number of workers are trained to administer first aid at the workplace.
  [s13(2) Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016]

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education 

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education maintain ongoing support from the Limited Statutory Manager to effectively address the areas for improvement identified in this report. Priorities include:

• accelerating student progress and achievement
• developing clear, consistent assessment systems and practices
• improving the collection, analysis and use of achievement data.

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 February 2026