Benneydale 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

Benneydale School provides education for learners in Years 0 to 8. The school has a roll of 35 students. Almost all students are Māori. The school's vision is Akongia mo apopo – Learn for Tomorrow and its values are Kotahitanga, Aroha, Whakaute and Panekiretanga – Community, Aroha, Respect and Excellence.

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.

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.

• Less than half of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is reducing over time.

Assessment

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

•  The school is not yet using an appropriate approach and reliable practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers should improve their use of assessment information 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 is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school has not improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school has not extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is not 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

• Learners are confident and have a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school.
• Te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori contexts are evident within the curriculum. Staff and students actively give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Relationships between staff and students are positive and respectful. Manaakitanga is evident throughout the school.
• The school is building positive relationships with the community.
• Structured literacy and mathematics have been implemented across all classes, and the school is focused on building collective capability of staff to ensure consistent and effective teaching strategies.

Key priorities

• Working with parents and whānau to increase rates of regular attendance.
• Reviewing and strengthening schoolwide assessment practices for student progress and achievement.
• Using student achievement information to inform strategic planning and targeted actions for continuous improvement.
• Strengthening teacher capability and collective responsibility in teaching mathematics.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• the School Board and leaders identify achieving the Government's 2030 targets for reading, writing, and mathematics as a key strategic priority in school planning
• leaders and teachers set clear targets and implement actions to improve students’ regular attendance

Within six months:

• leaders develop an assessment schedule to support and guide consistency of teacher practice
• leaders plan for professional development in structured mathematics for all teaching staff
• leaders and teachers identify those students whose progress requires acceleration and implement targeted actions

Every six months:

• leaders monitor and review actions to increase regular attendance, identifying next steps
• leaders and teachers regularly check and improve how they teach, using student assessment results to support high quality practice
• leaders and teachers review achievement data to track progress for all students and set clear goals for those students at risk of not achieving at expectation

Annually:

• the School Board and leaders review student attendance, progress and achievement information to support ongoing planning and action
• leaders and the Board evaluate the effectiveness of school improvement actions to inform strategic decision making
• leaders and teachers measure the rates of progress for students who were identified as requiring acceleration and determine next steps for continued improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Increased rates of regular student attendance.
• Improved rates of accelerated progress across the school in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Implementation of consistent and quality teaching practices across the school.
• Reliable student progress and achievement information that supports improved outcomes for all learners.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.

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                                                      

ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• all registered teachers, including those employed part-time, have completed the online mandatory module for understanding the rules and guidelines for physical restraint
  [s101 Education and Training Act 2020].
• Safety checks of school employees must comply with the requirements for a risk assessment 
  [Schedule 4, no 9(2b) Education and Training Act 2020, s31 (1) Children’s Act 2014].
• Hold regular trial evacuation practices and report these to the board
  [Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017; Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures and Evacuation Schemes Regulations 2018].
• Implement a formalised method for identifying, addressing and monitoring hazards, and regularly report hazard management practices to the board
  [Health and Safety at Work Act 2015; Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016].
• School boards must have procedures in place to manage and report injuries, illness and incidents at school, including notifiable events
  [Health and Safety at Work Act 2015; Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016].
• Ensure all Education Outside the Classroom activities are approved according to school policies and procedures
  [Health and Safety at Work Act 2015].

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

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)

21 August 2025