Whangarei Boys’ High School

School Evaluation 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

Whangārei Boys’ High School provides education for students in Years 9 to 13. The school is in Te Tai Tokerau and is the only single sex school for boys north of Auckland. A new principal started at the school at the beginning of 2025. Almost half the students at the school are Māori.

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

ERO and the school have been working together to evaluate how well school systems and structures support Year 9 students to develop a sense of tūrangawaewae.

Expected Improvements

The school expected to see students experiencing a learning climate that promotes, engagement, is positive and culturally responsive and that they are well supported to achieve success with a strong, secure sense of their cultural identity and demonstrate a strong sense of tūrangawaewae to the school and local community.

Findings

Teacher-student interactions are increasingly positive, culturally responsive and enhance learning and achievement. Students new to the school receive strong support to learn the school’s history and whakapapa links through a thorough transition programme, helping them integrate and feel they belong. School leaders prioritise the school's history and whakapapa, raising awareness of mana whenua. Learners display pride by actively participating in school events and valuing representation opportunities. Teachers consistently build positive relationships and respect students’ language, culture, and identity.

Other Findings

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s actions is the positioning of te ao Māori and the growth of kaupapa Māori prominently across the school. This is demonstrated through school karakia, waiata and haka embedded across the school, as well as the high profile of Māori taonga within the school grounds. This provides the foundation for ongoing initiatives focused on continuing to improve outcomes for ākonga Māori.

What we know about learner success

The judgments in this section are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• A large majority of students leave the school with at least National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 2 and most Year 13 students achieve Level 3.
• A large majority of students achieve NCEA Level 1 literacy and numeracy qualifications; an increased focus on literacy and numeracy in the junior school supports improvement in literacy and numeracy achievement.
• Achievement outcomes show increasing equity for Māori learners.
• Less than half of students attend school regularly and the school is behind the government target for regular attendance. Attendance is improving over time.

Conditions to support learner success

This section provides a summary of leadership, teaching, curriculum and foundation school conditions for improvement.

• Leaders are strengthening relational trust and effective collaboration across the school to improve clarity and consistency of expectations for teaching and learning and further improve outcomes for learners.
• Professional learning for staff is beginning to build collective capacity and improve consistency of teacher practice.
• School leaders have a shared understanding of best practice for teaching and learning, and what has the biggest impact on outcomes for learners and informs planning for improvement.

• Students experience diverse learning opportunities across the curriculum with a purposeful emphasis on improving literacy and numeracy outcomes school wide.
• Leaders and teachers increasingly integrate te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori throughout the curriculum, reflecting local contexts for relevant and meaningful learning.
• Leaders and teachers identify students needing extra support and provide effective, individualised assistance; assessment data is increasingly used to track progress, adapt teaching methods, and accelerate student achievement.

• A deliberate and shared commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and improving outcomes for Māori is evident throughout the school.
• Robust systems and processes provide teachers with sufficient information to enable the inclusion of students with additional education needs and support their progress.
• Leaders and teachers develop meaningful connections and demonstrate culturally respectful and relevant practices in their interactions with students to promote engagement.
• Leaders and teachers recognise and value the diverse identities, languages and cultures of learners, parents, whānau and the community; students’ wellbeing and inclusion is prioritised and promoted.

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.

Key Priorities

• Review and clarify strategic priorities to align with whānau, hapū and iwi aspirations.
• Evaluate school wide systems and processes to ensure they are aligned and focused on improving outcomes for learners.
• Clarify expectations for teaching and learning for consistency in the quality of teaching practice.
• Improve regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders finalise strategic priorities and share the revised strategic plan with the school community
• leaders and teachers develop a context specific practice template for high quality teaching and learning
• leaders and teachers review the professional learning plan for to ensure alignment to current to priorities

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers refine and embed the current attendance plan in collaboration with the school community and existing partnerships to continue to improve attendance

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review the professional learning plan for alignment to strategic priorities
• leaders and teachers evaluate and refine approaches used to increase student attendance and plan next steps

Annually:

• leaders and the School Board use student attendance and achievement information to evaluate progress made toward realising strategic priorities and to inform next steps
• leaders evaluate the effectiveness of professional learning and its impact on teacher practice to improve student outcomes.

Expected Outcome

• Improved student attendance, engagement and achievement.
• Improved NCEA results, especially rates of endorsements and University Entrance.
• Students consistently experience high quality teaching and learning aligned to community expectations and aspirations, and focused on equity and excellence of student outcomes.
• School systems, processes and resourcing decisions are clear, understood and aligned to strategic priorities.

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation 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

10 October 2025