Ponsonby Primary 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 

Ponsonby Primary School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The roll is 322; 88% of students identify as New Zealand European/Pākehā and 7% identify as Māori. The school’s vision is for students to be Steadfast and True. In July 2025, the school Board appointed a new principal.

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 they promote student wellbeing and resilience, which includes te ao Māori, wellbeing and mental health.

The school expected to see a culture of wellbeing, inclusiveness and resilience, students who consistently demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and connection with the school, and strong relationships between teachers, students, whānau and communities.

Findings 

The school made positive progress since the previous report. They have a strong commitment to student wellbeing and inclusive education. Initiatives include a dedicated wellbeing space and student wellbeing leaders that support positive outcomes for learners by fostering resilience, belonging, and equitable access to support.

Curriculum leaders integrate iwi histories and tikanga Māori into school operations, planning and learning and built relationships with local iwi. Practices such as karakia, waiata, pepeha, kapa haka, and te reo Māori are consistently integrated schoolwide. These actions collectively reflect the school’s commitment to a bicultural approach to promote sense of belonging and engagement. 

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 1 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 students 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 not yet reducing over time. 

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.

• 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 Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets and is likely to meet them by 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

• Students learn in calm, supportive and inclusive environments that enhance their sense of identity, belonging and wellbeing.
• School leadership is committed to fostering a schoolwide culture that drives continuous improvement for all learners.
• School operational systems and processes are effective and embedded, enabling a wide range of additional learning opportunities for students.
• Teachers have established strong relational trust among their peers, creating a collaborative culture that promotes teacher wellbeing and a growth mindset. This collective approach fosters positive classroom environments focused on continual improvement for all students.
• Staff actively engage in professional development opportunities that strengthen collective expertise across the school and create positive outcomes for learners. 

Key priorities

• Effectively implement the new mathematics curriculum and embed structured approaches to the teaching of literacy schoolwide, increasing student progress and achievement.
• Strengthen schoolwide internal evaluation systems to guide strategic decisions and enhance student outcomes.
• Improve regular attendance for all students.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers engage in professional learning to further grow their knowledge and skills in delivering the refreshed literacy and mathematics curriculum
• leaders review and report on the actions taken to embed internal evaluation systems schoolwide
• leaders monitor and report to the Board on attendance initiatives to inform next steps

Annually:

• leaders and teachers review and report on the implementation of the refreshed literacy and mathematics curriculum to inform ongoing improvement priorities
• leaders review and refine schoolwide evaluation systems in consultation with staff to determine the impact of initiatives and inform further actions
• leaders and the Board evaluate the attendance plan to determine the impact on improving attendance and identify areas for future improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Increasingly equitable and excellent outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.
• A robust, schoolwide approach to internal evaluation that drives continual improvement and informs decision-making at all levels.
• Improved rates of regular student 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 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 was one international student attending the school. 

International students participate in a range of internal and external programmes that address their learning and social needs. A newly appointed coordinator for international students oversees each placement while providing ongoing support to students and their whānau.

The coordinator is strengthening systems and processes for reviewing the school’s provision and outcomes for international students. 

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

11 February 2026