Firth 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

Firth School is a Year 1 to 6 contributing primary school with 258 students. The school roll comprises of 72% New Zealand European/Pākehā, 37% of learners identify as Māori, 14% Pacific and 8% Asian. The school’s vision is Haere whakamua, E tipu e rea: Go forward; Grow and flourish. This vision is underpinned by the values of Resourceful | Mana Titikaha, Resilient | Hinengaro Kakina and Responsible | Wairua Atawhai. 

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

Expected improvements

The school focused on evaluating how well systems and learning frameworks support consistent growth in teacher collective capacity and more excellent and equitable learner outcomes.

The school expected to see teachers responding and adapting their practice to meet the individual needs of learners based on robust assessment practices, as well as students, their whānau, and teachers communicating and supporting learning using consistent frameworks and tools. The school also expected to see a curriculum that increasingly responds to the aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi to promote equity and excellence for all.

Findings 

Leaders and teachers have introduced literacy and numeracy progression frameworks across the school. The progressions align with The New Zealand Curriculum and help teachers plan next steps and personalise student learning. Teachers and students use the frameworks to report progress and set goals. Students can increasingly explain their goals and the steps taken to achieve them. 

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 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 students 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 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 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

• Students benefit socially and emotionally from inclusive classroom practices designed to cater for a range of diverse learning and behaviour needs.
• Staff are intentionally assigned to individual and groups of students requiring additional support to help with their learning focus and engagement.
• Leadership is proactive in leading developments across the school that support students with complex needs through a range of interventions, building teacher capability to work effectively with these learners.
• Leaders and teachers are making progress with implementing structured approaches to teaching literacy and mathematics. Teachers use resources appropriately to support this learning.
• Leaders and staff access relevant internal and external professional development opportunities that strengthen teaching practice in literacy and mathematics. 

Key priorities

• Raise achievement for all learners with a targeted focus on accelerating progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Strengthen consistency in the delivery of the refreshed English and mathematics curriculum.
• Improve the analysis and use of assessment data to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Increase regular attendance, working towards the Government’s target.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers analyse assessment data for all groups of learners to understand rates of progress and acceleration, informing next improvement steps
• leaders and teachers review expected teaching and learning practices to ensure a shared schoolwide understanding
• leaders implement the school attendance plan to improve regular attendance

Every six months:

• leaders monitor and review the effectiveness of actions taken to accelerate progress and lift achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
• leaders monitor teaching and learning practices for consistency across the school
• leaders and teachers engage in professional development to further grow their knowledge and skills in delivering the requirements of the refreshed English and mathematics curriculum
• leaders review school attendance for trends and patterns and adjust the attendance plan as required

Annually:

• leaders evaluate student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics to inform ongoing strategic planning for improvement
• leaders review teaching and learning practices to determine further professional development for staff
• leaders and the school Board evaluate strategies designed to improve attendance and continue to adjust accordingly.

Expected outcomes

• Improved learner outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Consistent high-quality teaching, learning and assessment practices embedded across the school.
• 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

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