Edgecumbe 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

Edgecumbe School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is 185. 58% of learners identify as Māori, 43% as NZ European/Pākehā and 8% as Asian. The school’s vision is Tū pakari, tū rangatira hei raukura mō tō iwi. This vision is underpinned by the values of WAKA – Whanaungatanga, Ākonga, Kaitiakitanga and Aroha.

The Edgecumbe School Board appointed a new principal at the start of 2023. 

Since the previous ERO report, the school has transitioned to managing its own financial operations.

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 September 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected Improvements 

The school evaluated how well school systems and processes contributed to equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

The school expected to see high expectations for consistent and progressive teaching and learning practices and systems across the school, resulting in positive outcomes of equity and excellence for all learners.

Findings

Since 2023, the school has focused on improving teaching and learning through targeted professional development in structured literacy and mathematics. Staff have also engaged in professional learning to implement a schoolwide writing programme that supports consistent delivery and responds to learners’ needs. However, reading, writing and mathematics results for the end of 2024 showed less than half of learners achieved at and above curriculum expectations and outcomes are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Leadership continues to develop their capability through implementing strengthened in-class observation processes to build shared understandings of effective teaching practice.

A range of opportunities are provided to parents and whānau that provide practical strategies for supporting their child’s learning.

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.

• The small majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school has a suitable plan in place 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 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 for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Support

During the course of this review ERO had concerns about the quality of education being provided and made recommendations for support and/or intervention to the Secretary/Ministry of Education.

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 demonstrate well embedded school values that encourage their positive wellbeing in an inclusive environment.
• School leaders address the immediate needs of learners by utilising solution focussed approaches that include whānau involvement.
• Students participate enthusiastically in learning experiences within well organised spaces.
• Leaders and teachers continue to develop their practice to effectively deliver structured literacy schoolwide and are taking considered steps to implement structured approaches to the teaching of mathematics in 2025.
• Staff work together to plan, share, and use strategies from professional learning that aligns to learners' needs.

Key priorities

• Improve all students’ regular attendance.
• Embed consistent teaching and learning practices schoolwide, focusing on structured literacy and mathematics.
• Accelerate learners’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Strengthen schoolwide evaluation to clearly understand the impact of strategic actions and the curriculum on improving achievement outcomes.
• Refine communication strategies enabling parents and whānau to support their child’s learning.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders embed a schoolwide evaluation process for staff to identify what actions are needed to raise achievement and accelerate learner progress
• the school Board and leaders review which communication platforms parents and whānau use most to ensure clear, regular updates about student learning

Every six months:

• leaders review attendance trends and patterns and adjust actions as required
• leaders and teachers monitor and review the effectiveness of actions, including staff professional learning, to accelerate achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• leaders monitor teaching and learning practices, focusing on structured literacy and mathematics, for schoolwide consistency

Annually:

• the principal reviews and reports to the school Board on student progress and achievement information to inform ongoing strategic planning for improvement
• leaders review teaching and learning practices to determine ongoing staff professional learning and support curriculum development
• the school Board and leaders review communication strategies to ensure parents and whānau have shared understandings and opportunities to support their child’s learning.

Expected outcomes

• Increased regular attendance that aligns with the Government’s target.
• Consistent high-quality teaching practices and improved learner outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Clear and concise communication strategies that enable parents and whānau to actively support their child’s learning.

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

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider intervention for an action plan as listed in section 171(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020 in order to bring about the following improvement:

• Accelerate progress and achievement for all groups of learners.

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

2 December 2025