Fairhaven 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

Fairhaven School is a Year 1 to 6 school located in Te Puke, Western Bay of Plenty. English medium and Māori medium are provided. The school values are Dream, Strive and Achieve underpinned by Kotahitanga. The current school roll of 494 includes 35% of students who identify as Māori, 27% who identify as Pākehā | New Zealand European and 25% who identify as Indian. Fairhaven School acknowledges Tapuika and Waitaha as mana whenua.

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.

• 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 not yet 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.
• 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 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 making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets and is likely to meet them by 2030.

Rumaki/Reo Rua Outcomes and Conditions to Support Learners Success 

This section of the report provides more detail about the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of te reo Māori in rumaki/Reo Rua classroom/s within English medium schools.

Learner success and wellbeing

• Learners of Toitoi Manawa are grounded in te reo and tikanga pertinent to mana whenua through kaiako creating authentic culturally rich learning opportunities, encouraging active participation in a range of local kaupapa.
• Ākonga are supported by kaiāwhina and kaiārahi i te reo to actively engage in learning activities contributing to a responsive and well-structured learning environment.
• Toitoi Manawa is behind the Government target of 80% for regular attendance.

Where to next 

• Develop consistent assessment practices and responsive strategies to support high expectations of learner achievement and quality teaching and learning.
• Prioritise supporting learners to gain the necessary foundational skills in te reo matatini and pāngarau through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
• Governance and leadership to drive improved performance in Toitoi Manawa through strategic scrutiny of ākonga academic progress, engagement and wellbeing.

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 benefit from an effective behavioural management framework that strengthens school conditions to support learner engagement and wellbeing.
• Neurodiverse students and those with additional learning needs receive well-supported, targeted inventions with allocated resourcing that promotes inclusion and participation.
• School values are well embedded, strengthening the conditions to support student success and wellbeing.
• Parents and whānau are valued learning partners. The principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi are drawn on to strengthen the relationship between the school and external stakeholders.
• The school is developing a readiness plan to implement the refreshed curriculum, aligned with structured literacy and numeracy approaches to drive improved learner outcomes.
• Leaders and teachers provide a stimulating learning environment that promotes and celebrates te reo and tikanga Māori.

Key priorities

• Strengthen strategic goals to drive improved learner outcomes.
• Refine assessment tools and extend the use of achievement data to monitor rates of progress and implement targeted actions.
• Embed and enhance high quality and effective teaching practices to improve learner outcomes.
• Prioritise supporting learners to gain the necessary foundational skills in Te Reo Matatini and Pāngarau through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
• Improve regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months: 

• leaders and teachers refine attendance management plans to improve regular attendance towards the Government target of 80%
• leaders analyse mid-year data to highlight and report rates of progress, identifying and responding to barriers and adjust planning and practice as needed 

Within six months:

• leaders and the School Board scrutinise achievement data to inform strategic direction
• leaders and teachers monitor progress through effective achievement data analysis to improve learner outcomes
• leaders and teachers review the quality of teaching, learning and aromatawai practices in Te Reo Matatini and Pāngarau, and use this information to prioritise actions for continued improvement
• leaders refine attendance management strategies, with a focus on improving regular attendance

Annually:

• leaders and the School Board review achievement data to identify barriers, the effectiveness of assessment tools and practices and the impact of teaching programmes on learner progress and achievement to guide strategic planning and resourcing decisions for ongoing improvement
• leaders and the Board thoroughly analyse ākonga achievement and progress in Te Reo Matatini and Pāngarau, and use findings to improve explicit teaching practises, inform planning and resourcing
• the Board evaluate the effectiveness of attendance management strategies to increase regular learner attendance towards government targets and report progress and next steps to the community.

Expected outcomes

• Improved progress, achievement and wellbeing for all learners, with a focus on accelerated progress for targeted groups.
• High quality teaching and learning programmes.
• Improved outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Increased regular attendance.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.

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

Provision for International Students 

This section is about the quality of the provision of education for international students enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school  has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

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

Sharee Hemingway
Director Ākonga Māori

5 September 2025