Rotorua Lakes High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within two years of the Education Review Office and Rotorua Lakes High School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context

Rotorua Lakes High School offers education for years 9 to 13 and is situated on the east side of Rotorua, providing learning, with its community at the heart of decisions being made. The school has identified their focus as developing and maintaining student pathways that meet the needs of its community.

Rotorua Lakes High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• Learners being at the centre – All ākonga are supported to develop successful pathways and outcomes.
• Barrier free access to education – All ākonga can follow their needed pathways with support provided to ensure equitable outcomes.
• Providing quality teaching and leadership – delivering positive outcomes for all of our ākonga, kaiako, and community.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Rotorua Lakes High School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively student engagement initiatives are leading to improved outcomes for students.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is: 

• increasing student retention and transition into future pathways 
• better meeting the needs of different cohorts of students through targeted programmes and initiatives 
• reviewing the implementation of restorative environments and culturally responsive practice.

The school expects to see targeted programmes within the junior and senior school improving wellbeing and academic outcomes, including retention and engagement, for all students involved. 

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to improve student outcomes.

• Strong community partnerships, including with mana whenua that support student wellbeing, teaching and learning programmes and the strategic direction of the school.
• Effective review processes around teaching and learning programmes that inform next steps.
• On-going professional development plans in place support restorative and relational practice.
• A well-considered range of teaching strategies, initiatives and interventions support individual learning approaches and needs.
• High expectations for student achievement, engagement and attendance is evident across the school.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise reviewing the: 

• student engagement programme, within the senior school, to know, understand and inform further improvements for target student wellbeing and academic outcomes
• impact of current teaching strategies and approaches, in the junior school, on student progress, engagement and achievement
• enactment of restorative and relational practice across the school, to inform improvements.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years. 

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

7 December 2023 

About the School

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