Te Ra 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 

Te Rā School is a state-integrated special character primary school that provides Waldorf Steiner education for learners in Years 2 to 8. The school roll is 146 students and includes 75% students who are New Zealand European|Pākehā, 20% identify as Māori and 5% from other ethnic backgrounds. 

The school’s vision is: Whāngaia te wairua o te tamaiti, hāpainga te mana tangata, poipoia te mauri - Education that nourishes the soul of each child, upholds their dignity and nurtures their life force. 

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

Expected improvements

The school expected to see a strategic framework to guide the mathematics programmes schoolwide to support sustained and continuous achievement for all learners. Leaders planned to use evaluation findings to guide decision-making, build collective capability and culturally responsive practice in assessment for learning in mathematics and align assessment systems and processes for sustained improvement in mathematics.

Findings 

The school continues to work towards a clear, consistent framework for mathematics programmes that improve achievement for all learners. A planned approach to numeracy is embedded in some classes but not consistent in others. Ongoing professional development is planned for 2026.

Evaluation findings guide decisions, with plans to strengthen culturally responsive practices, including more whānau engagement, partnership hui, and reporting to the school Board with findings and next steps.

The school is aligning assessment systems for mathematics, similar to literacy tracking. Stronger systems are needed to show progress and equity of outcomes for learners.

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?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning?Learners benefit from good 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 sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational skills in literacy and mathematics.

Learners with complex needs require better support to achieve their education goals.

How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement?The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school reasonably 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 is improving its reporting 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 SafetyThe school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.

Achievement in Years 2 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 64%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet 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.

• The small majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is approaching 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 improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers are developing 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 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 meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics 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

• Leaders and teachers actively promote and model, orderly and inclusive learning environments. Most learners are well supported to engage and apply new learning.
• Teachers know their students well. Students learn in a positive and affirming environment that acknowledges and celebrates their individual strengths.
• The school is committed to strengthening its connections with mana whenua and have developed an across-school programme in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.
• Parents are knowledgeable about their child’s wellbeing and participation through effective communication between the school and them.
• Parents have a clear understanding of their child’s social participation and progress across the curriculum, through effective communication between the school and home.
• Leaders and teachers work collaboratively. Teachers are well supported to build capability through professional learning programmes aligned to strategic goals for learner achievement.
• School leadership focuses on strengthening the conditions needed for student success and wellbeing.
• The school’s special character is reflected in a collaborative approach to the curriculum, learning and assessment; engaging the entire community and offering diverse opportunities for students to grow.

Key priorities

• Align the school curriculum with updates to The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements.
• Strengthen the school’s review and evaluation processes at all levels, to address students’ specific learning needs for equitable outcomes.
• Strengthen analysis and the use of data to inform reading, writing and mathematics teaching across the school.
• Embed structured literacy and mathematics approaches schoolwide.
• Improve regular attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers engage in professional learning in structured literacy and approaches to mathematics, so that all learners have equitable opportunities to learn
• leaders and teachers collaboratively review current data analysis practices, to look at usefulness and accuracy across the school

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers review teaching and learning approaches in literacy and mathematics for alignment with The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment developments to identify further staff professional learning priorities
• leaders analyse the impact and effectiveness of teaching, learning and support programmes, with a focus on structured reading, writing and mathematics and those students not yet achieving at expected curriculum levels
• leaders review the attendance plan, review current attendance strategies and initiatives to inform next steps

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers evaluate the success of strategies to accelerate the progress of identified learners in reading, writing and mathematics to inform future actions
• leaders and the school Board monitor progress through informative achievement data analyses, to know learner outcomes

Annually:

• leaders evaluate the quality of teaching and the use of best practice approaches aligned to curriculum and assessment developments, identifying areas for future development
• leaders and the school Board use analysed achievement data to identify barriers to learning and inequity, inform strategic goals and implement effective targeted action
• leaders and the school Board evaluate the effectiveness of attendance strategies to increase regular learner attendance towards government targets.

Expected outcomes

• Improved progress, achievement and equitable outcomes for learners.
• High quality teaching practices in literacy and mathematics embedded schoolwide and aligned to curriculum and assessment expectations.
• Increased regular attendance.

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

Actions for Compliance

The board and ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• follow the practice and procedure prescribed for notifying the use physical restraint
  [Education and Training Act 2020, Sections 99, 100 and 101; Ministry of Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2023].

Te Rā School Board has since addressed the area 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

20 February 2026