Douglas Park 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

Douglas Park School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. There are 372 students currently at the school, 49% identify as New Zealand European/Pākehā and 38% identify as Māori.

The school is guided by its ‘PRIDE’ values: ‘Peace, Respect, Independence, Dare to Dream, 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

Improvement and progress 

This section is about the progress the school has made since the August 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school focused on developing a local curriculum to better engage students and support student progress and achievement. The school expected to see school leaders, board members, teachers, students and whānau actively engaging in learning the local stories and histories of the local Wairarapa area (Wairarapatanga). Teaching and learning would include identifying opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of local narratives and to apply their knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori. 

Findings 

Teachers and leaders worked together to develop and maintain a shared understanding of Wairarapatanga. They explicitly teach Wairarapatanga lessons alongside school values, providing students a rich curriculum and a deeper understanding of local history. Long-term plans embed Wairarapatanga in learning contexts. The school collected baseline data, and evidence of progress is now visible in everyday practices such as karakia, waiata, and morning paepae.

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 1 to 6 

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.

• The small majority 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 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 to some extent 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

• Leaders and staff create a positive, inclusive culture that fosters belonging and pride in achievement. They actively support wellbeing through responsive practices.
• Students learn through a rich curriculum that uses local contexts, real-world experiences, and authentic opportunities to deepen understanding and promote engagement across learning areas.
• Teachers know their learners and work together to deliver a consistent curriculum. They track and review progress regularly to keep improving learning outcomes.
• The leadership team aligns planning, teaching, and professional learning with the school vision. They strengthen teaching, celebrate success, and grow staff capability through targeted development.
• Leaders and teachers form strong partnerships with individuals, organisations, and the community. These connections provide rich learning experiences, empower students, and encourage active participation to improve outcomes.

Key priorities

• Improve attendance.
• Continue professional learning to support implementation of the refreshed English and mathematics curriculum, including updated assessment practices.
• Strengthen Douglas Park School Board capability and knowledge to better perform its stewardship function. 

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• the school Board adopts the attendance plan, and teachers and leaders implement it to improve regular attendance toward the Government target of 80%
• the school Board seeks support to strengthen capability and governance knowledge to drive the strategic plan to improve outcomes for all learners

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers monitor student attendance and review and adjust the attendance plan as necessary
• leaders and teachers analyse mid-year data and report student progress and achievement to the Board

Annually:

• leaders and the school Board review and evaluate the impact of the attendance plan to improve regular attendance
• leaders and staff evaluate the impact of professional learning to improve student achievement and increase equity for groups of learners
• the school Board evaluates the effectiveness of their governance and stewardship role to bring about improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Increased regular student attendance.
• Enhanced teacher capability and understanding of the refreshed curriculum and aligned assessments.
• Strengthened governance to drive the school’s strategic plan and ongoing improvement. 

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 areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• ensure suitable human resource management practices are implemented, including:
  • obtaining a Police vet before a person starts work at the school and,
  • considering the information contained in the Police vet to assess whether the person would pose a risk to the safety of children if the person were to carry out work at the school.
    [Education and Training Amendment Act 2023, Children’s Act 2014]

The Douglas Park School Board has taken steps to address 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

23 March 2026