Freemans Bay 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 

Freemans Bay School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school’s roll of 662 includes 66% Asian and 22% New Zealand European/Pākehā.  Learners are offered two learning pathways, Māori medium through Whānau Ata, and English medium. 

A smaller number of learners are Māori, of Pacific heritage and other ethnic backgrounds. The valued outcomes are based on a vision to create a stimulating, inclusive learning environment that engages, empowers, and enriches ākonga to prepare them for the future world.

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

Expected improvements

The school expected to see improved teacher capability and shared understanding of effective teaching practices to drive positive progress and achievement for all learners - especially Māori, Pacific, supported learners, and those below curriculum expectation.

Findings 

The school demonstrates a clear commitment to strategic professional development focused on building teaching capability and shared understanding. Evidence shows accelerated learning and improved achievement outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners, indicating that targeted strategies and effective teaching practices have a positive impact. 

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 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.

Attendance

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

• The small 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.
• Chronic absence is 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.

Freemans Bay School operates within a dynamic and multicultural environment. The school attracts a significant number of overseas families due to its central location and inclusive education. A highly transient student population impacts on progress, achievement and attendance, influenced by travel and relocation.

• 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Rumaki/Reo Rua outcomes and conditions to support learner success 

This section of the report provides more detail about the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of te reo Māori in rumaki/Reo Rua classroom/s within in English medium schools.

Learner success and wellbeing

• Whānau Ata ākonga experience a rich, culturally grounded curriculum that strengthens and enhances te reo Māori learning.
• Achievement data is not yet measured against curriculum expectations. Time in immersion outcomes show ākonga are progressing in pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau. Regular attendance for ākonga in Whānau Ata is behind the government target.
• Whānau Ata ākonga experience Māori medium education through established pathways that support continuity and progression.

Conditions to support learner success

• A positive relational culture fosters trust and engagement between kura, ākonga and whānau.
• Ākonga actively participate in collaborative learning and demonstrate agency and self-management, supported by strong language acquisition and culturally affirming practices.
• High whānau engagement fosters a strong sense of belonging and partnership.

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

• Learner’s progress and achievement are accelerated through differentiated and culturally responsive teaching, supported by staff use of reliable tracking systems.
• The school is integrating structured literacy and mathematics within a broad and balanced curriculum that reflects local contexts.
• Learners are engaged, confident, and actively participate in learning through collaborative practices and culturally inclusive environments.
• A strong culture of collaboration is evident, reflected in co-teaching practices, shared responsibility for all learners, and strategic professional learning that builds teacher capability.
• The School Boord consistently reviews a wide range of data and school information to identify strategic objectives and prioritise areas for improvement.
• Regular and intentional review processes create a strong culture of continuous improvement, ensuring strategic priorities remain focused on improving outcomes for learners.

Key priorities

• Embed implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum and align assessment tools with the school’s existing assessment strategy to strengthen programme design and data-informed teaching.
• Strategically plan for the implementation of the curriculum and measure achievement against curriculum level expectations in Whānau Ata.
• Collectively engage in data-informed dialogue and reflection to clearly see the impact of teaching practices.
• Increase learners feedback in evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching and learning programmes.
• Monitor initiatives to improve higher levels of regular attendance for all learners.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• ensure assessment tools align with the school’s assessment strategy
• increase capacity of interpreting and using data to inform practice
• gather rich, narrative feedback to understand learners experiences of teaching and learning
• refine attendance targets to accelerate attendance towards government target
• governance, leadership, kaiako and whānau co-construct strategic priorities for Whānau Ata

Every six months:

• senior leaders and staff scrutinise learners progress and use information to inform next steps for planning of learning
• senior leaders capture learners voice around curriculum content and delivery; use this information to ensure the continued growth of responsive teaching practices
• senior leaders monitor attendance trends, report to the School Board and continue to address ongoing challenges collaboratively
• the School Board and leaders track, monitor and evaluate ākonga progress against actions in the strategic plan for Whānau Ata

Annually:

• leaders evaluate the impact of curriculum and assessment alignment on learner outcomes, report to the School Board to inform decision making
• leaders to analyse learners voice on the effectiveness of teaching and learning
• leaders analyse and report attendance patterns to the School Board and respond accordingly
• leaders evaluate the impact of the strategic priorities for improving ākonga outcomes in Whānau Ata and report to the School Board to inform direction.

Expected outcomes

• Improved achievement outcomes against curriculum level expectations for Whānau Ata ākonga.
• Improved progress, achievement and equity for all learners.
• Assessment tools provide accurate, reliable data that is used well.
• Increased rates of regular attendance. 

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.

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

Provision for International Students 

This section is about the quality of the provision of education for international students enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Students) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review 12 international students attended the school.

Processes for annual self-review and pastoral care are effective and well-integrated for compliance to the Code and student wellbeing and inclusion. Reviews are collaborative and evidence informed. Induction and cultural support are robust. International students participate fully in learning and school life. Education and pastoral care support international students to be part of the school community.

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