St Thomas School (Auckland)

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  

St Thomas School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. Currently there are 823 students of whom 42% identify as Asian; 38% as NZ European / Pakeha; 10% as Middle Eastern, Latin American or African; 6% identity Māori and 4% Pacific of heritage. Learners come from culturally diverse backgrounds, and many speak more than one language.  

The school values are whakaute/respectful, aumangea/resilient, and takohanga/responsible and support the school mission for learners to be well prepared for an ever-changing 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 

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.  

How well are learners succeeding? ​​Learners experience high levels of success and make excellent progress; outcomes are similarly high for all groups.​ What is the quality of teaching and learning? Learners benefit from ​excellent 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 ​rich​ opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. 

There is ​a 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? ​​School planning and conditions to support high quality education for learners are driving excellent school performance.​ How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? ​​The school successfully 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 / 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 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. 

Less than a third  

Less than half  

Small majority  

Large majority  

Most  

Almost all  

0 to 33% 

34 to 49% 

50 to 65% 

65 to 79% 

80 to 90% 

Over 90% 

Reading 

​​Most​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​becoming more equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Writing 

​​Most​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​becoming more equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Mathematics 

​​Most​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​becoming more equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Attendance 

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

• Most learners attend school regularly.
• The school is ​exceeding​ 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. 

• 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 significantly​ extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets set for 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 

• ​​Senior leaders, staff and the School Board have high expectations for all learners to be successful. Learner achievement in reading, writing and mathematics is consistently high, and outcomes for Māori learners are equitable.  
• ​All staff promote a safe and inclusive learning environment that supports physical and emotional wellbeing, ensuring all learners feel valued, respected and can thrive.
• ​The school board and leadership use a wide range of achievement and engagement data to inform decision making and equitably allocate resources to support all learners.  
• ​Teaching practices are based on evidence and implemented through a shared, structured literacy, mathematics and wider curriculum delivery. Specialist teachers contribute to the school’s rich and broad curriculum.  
• ​The well-resourced curriculum offers opportunities for academic, cultural and sporting engagement. It fosters students’ confidence in their identity, language and culture. A variety of learning experiences enable learners to explore and excel in areas of interest and strength.  
• ​Leaders promote a culture of professional learning and collaboration. Staff are well supported and collectively, are committed to high-quality teaching and excellent learning outcomes for all learners.
• ​A robust cycle of internal evaluation ensures that the school is continuously reflecting, reviewing and improving its practices to meet the needs of all learners. ​ 

Key priorities  

• Sustain and improve regular attendance for all learners.
• Strengthen te ao Māori within the curriculum and school-wide programmes.
• Investigate and implement new opportunities and initiatives to further enhance learning outcomes for learners with additional needs.  

Actions to bring about improvement 

Every six months: 

• leaders analyse and report student attendance information to the Board
• leaders and teachers evaluate and report to the Board on how effectively te ao Māori is integrated within the curriculum, school wide programmes and its impact on improving learner outcomes
• leaders review and report to the Board new opportunities and initiatives that are making a difference for learners with additional needs  

Annually: 

• the Board and leaders review the effectiveness of attendance initiatives and programmes for learners with additional needs to inform next steps and ongoing improvement planning. 

Expected outcomes 

• Sustained and improved regular attendance.
• Te ao Māori is visible in the school curriculum.
• Innovative well-resourced programmes enabling learners with additional needs to achieve their best. 

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 of the report is about the quality of the provision of education for international student 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 ​21​ international students attending the school, and ​no​ exchange students. 

​​St Thomas School has high quality processes for the provision of pastoral care of international students and for annual self–review. The school’s programme is well established. 

​The school provides a welcoming, inclusive environment where students are well-supported to participate in a range of activities and integrate into the school’s community. Thorough policies and processes for monitoring and responding to student wellbeing and academic progress are in place.​ 

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 (Acting)​ 

​​29 August 2025​