New Plymouth Boys’ High School

School Evaluation 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

New Plymouth Boys’ High School provides education for boys from Years 9 to 13. At the time of this review there were 1517 students at the school; 26% identify as Māori and 78% as New Zealand European/Pākehā. The school has an attached boarding hostel, Hatherley House. The school’s expectations are captured in their vision for success ‘Kia tu hei tauira, Be the Example’.

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 evaluating how well learners in Te Haumaru, the school’s learning centre, are supported to thrive in and beyond school.

The school expected to clarify is working to support excellent and equitable outcomes for learners in Te Haumaru, the development of coherent pathways from Year 9, successful practices shared across the school to support diverse learning needs in classrooms and genuine learning partnerships with whānau, teachers and other agencies to support learner success.

Findings

Te Haumaru is well embedded and a vital part of the wider school. Effective and impactful practices and systems are being sustained. The centre is located centrally in the school and is an accessible hub for students who seek support for their learning, making it easier and more acceptable to do so. 

Learners are supported by expert staff who plan and facilitate coherent and successful pathways into, through and beyond the school in partnership with families/whānau. Schoolwide acceptance and inclusiveness of difference are a positive impact of the work of Te Haumaru, indicating that diverse learning needs are well accepted and supported across the school. 

What we know about learner success 

This section provides a summary of learner success, wellbeing and foundation school conditions, including any education in Rumaki/Reo Rua settings. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Learner success and wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• The large majority of students in Year 9 and 10 achieve at expected levels for reading and mathematics and a small majority in writing. Writing remains a schoolwide focus.
• Most students achieve the literacy and numeracy component of National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) by the end of Year 11.
• Most students achieve NCEA Level 2 and 3, a large majority achieve NCEA Level 1 and small majority achieve University Entrance (UE). The school is working towards reducing disparity of achievement for groups of learners at NCEA Level 1 and 3 and UE.
• Students express a strong sense of inclusion and belonging to the school. They are well supported through effective processes for identifying and responding to student needs.
• A small majority of students attend regularly. The school is below the government target of 80% regular attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

This section provides a summary of leadership, teaching, curriculum and foundation school conditions for improvement.

• Leaders build and sustain high levels of relational trust. They attract, retain and grow effective teaching teams, provide a wide range of opportunities and distribute leadership to help achieve the school’s strategic vision for quality teaching.
• Leaders sustain supportive systems for learners to effectively transition into, through and beyond the school. Clear expectations for learning and behaviour are promoted; a positive environment is evident where students can explore a range of interests.
• Leaders set and pursue coherent goals and targets that maintain high expectations of staff and students. They actively focus on achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all groups of students. 

• Foundation skills of literacy and numeracy are a focus to ensure students can access a range of pathway options in the senior school.
• The school’s curriculum offers a wide choice for learners both in and beyond the classroom. Student feedback is sought to make improvements and students are supported to make progress in their learning.
• Teachers know their learners well and create settled, inclusive and respectful learning environments.
• Students experience teaching that is explicit, well planned and underpinned by high expectations of effort and engagement. 

• Regular reports to students and families/whānau focus on student engagement and the importance of effort in learning to enhance the partnership between home and school.
• Leadership programmes are well embedded and provide useful ways for students to aspire and achieve their goals in a spirit of service, community and tradition.
• A wide range of supports within the school and community are used well to help students to fully engage in learning. Comprehensive systems are in place to track and monitor outcomes, identify areas for improvement and guide ongoing planning.

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 identifies key priorities and actions for improvement.

Key priorities

• Improve equitable and excellent outcomes for all groups of learners.
• Refine the school’s evaluative practices to know what works to improve learner outcomes and reduce disparity, with a specific focus on Years 9 and 10.
• Improve regular attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers decide on a schoolwide evaluative process to collectively strengthen the knowledge of what works to improve learner outcomes and reduce disparity

Every six months:

• teachers and leaders reflect on the findings from their collective evaluation, determine what is working to close disparity gaps and decide on appropriate next steps
• leaders collect, analyse and report overall achievement, progress, behaviour, wellbeing and attendance information to the school Board
• leaders and the school Board evaluate the attendance plan for effectiveness and make improvements as required

Annually:

• the school board reports overall achievement, progress, behaviour, wellbeing and attendance information to the community through its annual reporting mechanism including ongoing improvement goals. 

Expected outcomes

• Improved regularly attendance.
• Excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners.
• High quality evaluation practices used by teachers and leaders for ongoing school improvement.

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

22 January 2026