Helensville 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. 

About the School  

​​Helensville School is located in Helensville and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s motto, Arohia Ake- Aim High is underpinned by the school’s values.  

​The school’s roll is growing and at the time of the ERO review was 520 students. The ethnic composition is New Zealand/Pākehā 53%, Māori 28%, Pacific 6%, Asian 6% and other ethnic groups 7%.​ 

Part A: Parent Summary 

Progress since ​March 2023​ ERO report 

​​The school has been working to evaluate the extent to which effective teaching and assessment practices, through a school curriculum that enables  students to drive their own progress and achievement. As a result, there is increased schoolwide consistency in effective teaching, learning and assessment practices. This is having a positive impact on students’ progress and learning. Learners are increasingly given opportunities to have ownership over how they improve their progress and achievement. 

​A new school board was formed in Term 2, 2024 after a Ministry of Education statutory intervention had been in place from the end of 2019 until Term 4, 2024. ​ 

How well place is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing? 

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 ​sufficient​ opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. 

There is ​an increasingly 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? ​​The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.​ How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? ​​The school reasonably 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 and 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 Safety ​​The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.​ 

Achievement in Years 0 to 8 

This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Foundation Skills 

 Reading 

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

Results are ​not yet equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Writing 

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

Results are ​not yet equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Mathematics 

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

Results are ​not yet equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Attendance 

The school is ​behind​ 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 

​​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 

Due to the large influx of new students and staff this year, leaders have focused on building shared understanding in effective teaching, learning and assessment practices to lift schoolwide student progress and achievement. 

The school ​is developing​ better 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 some​ progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority. 

An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office 
 

Part B: Findings for the school 

This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. 

Areas of Strength 

Students learn in caring, respectful and inclusive environments. Students are engaged and valued; they have a strong sense of belonging and demonstrate pride in their learning. Students know what they are learning and are increasingly able to talk about their learning next steps.  

The senior leadership team promotes a school culture of increasing collaboration in school and between schools, whānau and family and staff to build a shared commitment to school improvement. Leaders use multiple sources of feedback that align with the school’s strategic improvement goals and future direction for school improvement.  

Structured literacy has been in place in Years 1 to 2 for some years. The school will extend this to Years 3 to 8 in 2025. Structured mathematics for students has begun, and this will also be implemented schoolwide. 

Students experience a range of meaningful learning opportunities through the school curriculum. There is a focus on supporting learners to gain sound foundations skills in literary, communication and mathematics.  

Leaders and teachers are increasingly prioritising and engaging in ongoing professional development to enable high-quality teaching and learning practices support all students.   

Teachers regularly collaborate to inquire into aspects of their teaching practice to further support learners’ progress and achievement.  

Key priorities and actions for improvement  

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• continue to implement schoolwide structured literacy approaches through targeted professional development for staff to reduce the achievement gaps between groups of students
• strengthen schoolwide systems and processes to monitor and accelerate students who require support to achieve well
• use a wider range of strategies to support whānau and families to increase regular attendance to attain the government’s attendance target.   

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows. 

Within three months: 

• undertake professional development in structured literacy for students in Years 3 to 8, and the implementation of practices into classroom programmes
• survey students, whānau and family to gather ideas on ways to increase regular attendance and analyse the information to increase schoolwide regular attendance  

Every six months: 

• review the effectiveness of teaching and learning literacy and mathematics planning and assessment frameworks so all teachers have a shared understanding of assessment and how it informs students’ learning and next steps
• review the effectiveness of schoolwide systems and processes that show the acceleration for those students at risk of underachievement
• monitor and evaluate attendance initiatives to increase overall student regular attendance  

Annually: 

• continue to report to the board the acceleration of those students at risk of underachieving and make comparisons to show how equitable progress and achievement outcomes are for all students
• continue to report to the board student progress and achievement in structured literacy and mathematics
• report to the board the impact of initiatives for improving regular student attendance to increase overall student regular attendance.  

 Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in: 

• well aligned systems, processes and practices that support teaching and learning expectations to support outcomes for students through teaching and learning approaches, including interventions, that effectively accelerate learning for those learners at risk of underachievement
• increased regular student attendance. 

Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements 

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements 

All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. 

During this review the Board has attested to some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas: 

Board Administration 

​​Yes​ 

Curriculum 

​​Yes​ 

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare 

​​Yes​ 

Personnel Management 

​​Yes​ 

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three 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​ (Acting)

​​21 May 2025​ 

Education Counts 

This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home