James Street 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 

James Street School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. Currently there are 251 students, 67% identify as Māori, 23% as NZ European/Pakeha and 10% from Pacific, Asia and Middle Eastern, African and Latin American backgrounds. A new principal was appointed at the beginning of 2025. The school values, we are respectful, we are safe, and we are proud underpin day to day school activities. 

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 May 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings. 

Expected improvements

School leaders reviewed how well evaluation systems support responsive and adaptive teaching practices to meet the needs of all learners. The goal was to improve staff knowledge and consistency in collecting, analysing, and using valid assessment data to guide teaching and learning. 

Findings 

Teachers are beginning to use standardised tools to gather achievement data in reading, writing, and mathematics. This data is beginning to be used by teachers to inform the next steps in teaching programmes. For students who are not meeting expected curriculum levels, school leaders have started to carefully look at their achievement, create action plans and better provide specific support to help accelerate their learning progress. 

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.

A large majority of learners enter James Street School significantly behind the expected curriculum level. The school’s efforts are well focused on accelerated progress. 

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. 

• Less than half 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 to some extent 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

• Leaders, staff and the school Board’s goal is for all learners to be successful. They focus on improving regular attendance and achievement particularly in reading and writing.
• All staff promote a safe and inclusive learning environment that supports physical and emotional wellbeing, ensuring all learners feel valued and accepted by each other.
• Staff are supportive and work together to ensure consistency of teaching practice in structured literacy and mathematics to accelerate progress and achievement for all learners.
• Leaders use their knowledge and expertise to achieve the best outcomes for all learners including those learners with diverse needs. 

Key priorities 

• Maintain a focus on increasing attendance to meet the government attendance target.
• Review and align the school’s current teaching and learning practices with current curriculum and assessment requirements.
• Accelerate progress and achievement in reading and reduce disparity for identified groups of learners in literacy.
• Work with the school community and Ngāti Awa to co-design school priorities and monitor strategies that guide the school’s future direction.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders review and improve school assessment processes and systems in literacy and mathematics to ensure student achievement data is accurate, reliable and can be confidently used to inform next steps

Every six months:

• leaders review attendance strategies, identify areas for improvement and share with the school’s community to improve regular attendance rates
• leaders report to the school Board on the achievement of all learners in literacy and mathematics and the acceleration of target learners in reading and for some groups of learners

Annually

• leaders work with teachers, the school Board, parents and community members to monitor progress against strategic goals, ensuring actions stay aligned with shared aspirations
• leaders and teachers review and evaluate the impact of teaching, learning and assessment practices in literacy and mathematics and use this information to support further improvement
• the principal and the school Board evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies to improve regular attendance to inform future planning.

Expected outcomes 

• Improved rates of regular attendance.
• Accelerated progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics for all learners including learners who require additional support.
• Strengthened alignment of the strategic direction and community partnerships drives school 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 

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• ensure all staff employed have a current police vet
  [Children’s Act 2014, s104 Education and Training Act 2020]. 

The Board has since addressed 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

20 October 2025