Northcross Intermediate

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

Northcross Intermediate provides education for learners in Years 7 and 8. The school continues to experience growth and changing demographics. The current roll is approximately 1,500 students, with 50% identifying as European/Pākehā, 42% of Asian descent, 5% identifying as Māori and 2% as Pacific. The school’s vision of Lighting the Path for Success is supported by the core values of Reflective, Engaged, Self-motivated, Persevering, Explorative, Collaborative and Tolerant, known as RESPECT@NX.

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 Project-Based Learning (PBL) improves outcomes for all students. The school expected to see students leading their learning, thinking critically and creatively, using literacy and numeracy in meaningful ways, and building strong community partnerships.

Findings 

Students experience a rich and responsive curriculum that actively engages them in meaningful learning. PBL provides learners with choice, encourages collaboration and critical thinking, and helps them explore real-world challenges. Learners decide how to best share their learning with others, including the wider community. Literacy and numeracy are purposefully integrated into projects, giving students many opportunities to apply these skills in real-life contexts. The school has worked to grow community understanding of PBL through its website, information booklets, and regular sharing sessions with parents.

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 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.

• The large 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.

Assessment

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

• The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Assessment information is used well 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.

In recent years, the school has experienced significant growth in the number of students who are learning English as a second language. The large majority of these learners are working at the foundation stages of their language journey, and this has an impact on schoolwide progress and achievement information. 

• The school has good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school has significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school has significantly 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.

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 learn in caring, respectful and inclusive environments that support their wellbeing. They express a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school, and gratitude for the many opportunities that are available to them.
• Students are active and motivated participants in their learning and speak confidently about current learning and progress against goals. Opportunities for students to reflect on their successes and challenges are embedded into learning programmes.
• A strategic, experienced and responsive leadership team ensure school planning and conditions support high expectations for all learners. Actions that support students’ wellbeing and inclusion are regularly evaluated and prioritised.
• Structured literacy has been effectively implemented to target students who require additional support in reading and writing. Structured mathematics is being integrated into teaching and learning programmes during 2025.
• Staff professional development is well aligned to the school’s improvement goals and is purposefully implemented using both internal and external expertise to continually enhance teaching and learning.
• Teachers are well supported to inquire into their practice and the impact of teaching and learning on student outcomes. The use of observation cycles and feedback enable teachers to reflect on and adjust their practice to improve learner progress and achievement.

Key priorities

• Embed the new literacy and mathematics curriculum schoolwide to further strengthen achievement outcomes for all groups of students.
• Further enhance learning and wellbeing outcomes for students who have English as a second language.
• Consistently meet and exceed the Government’s target of 80% for regular student attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review teaching and learning approaches in literacy and mathematics to identify the impact on achievement and further staff professional development
• leaders review the impact of learning and wellbeing initiatives on students who have English as a second language to plan future actions, including ongoing staff professional development
• leaders and the attendance team review attendance strategies and initiatives to inform next steps 

Annually:

• leaders evaluate progress with embedding the new curriculum and assessment developments, identifying areas for future improvement
• leaders and the school Board review student attendance, progress, achievement and wellbeing information to inform ongoing decision making and strategic planning.

Expected outcomes

• High quality teaching, learning and assessment practices embedded schoolwide that support increased equitable and excellent outcomes for all groups of learners.
• Enhanced learning and wellbeing outcomes for students who have English as a second language.
• Sustained levels of regular attendance that consistently meets the Government’s target.

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 Learners) 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 there were 39 international students attending the school.

International students are successfully transitioned into the school and are well supported to succeed in their learning. They receive effective pastoral care and are well integrated into school life. The school’s provision for international students is reviewed annually and reported to the school Board. 

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 September 2025