Kawerau South 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 

Kawerau South School provides dual-medium education for learners in Years 1 to 6 (286 English medium learners), and 71 learners across full immersion Māori and bilingual/reorua. Learners are guided by the schools’ Waiū values; whanaungatanga, aroha, iwi tapatahi  and urunga. 

The school roll includes 89% of learners who identify as Māori.  A special feature of the school is Takiwātanga, a unit that provides specialist education for students with high physical, mental and emotional needs. Kawerau South School acknowledges Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau as the paramount iwi.

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

Expected improvements

ERO and the school identified areas for improvement, including strengthening responsive teaching, enriching student identity and wellbeing and deepening partnerships with whānau. The school expected to see high expectations for learning and positive behaviour across the school, leading to improved student wellbeing, attendance, and achievement.

Findings 

Learner’s sense of identity and wellbeing have improved. School values are embedded and Takiwātanga supports learners with high needs. Structured programmes and stronger whānau partnerships enhance teaching. Achievement gaps between groups of learners and declining attendance remain a challenge. The school’s targeted actions and improved teaching are leading to better progress in reading and writing. 

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 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.

• Less than a third of learners 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 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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 in English medium schools.

Learner success and wellbeing

• Achievement data shows that less than half of ākonga in Opūnoke meet curriculum level expectations in tuhituhi, a small majority in pānui, and a large majority - particularly boys, are achieving at or above expectations in Pāngarau.
• Ākonga confidently reflect Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau tikanga and eagerly share learning with whānau.
• Ākonga benefit from active whānau participation in kura life.

Conditions to support learner success

• Learning programmes integrate the rich local narratives (cultural narratives), waiata and tikanga of Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau through quality te reo Māori.
• Structured, respectful learning environments encourage active participation and risk-taking.
• Opūnoke actively honours partnerships with whānau and mana whenua to shape their vision and strategic goals, with clear rumaki pathway partnerships still in development.

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

• The school demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusive education through tailored, evidence-based support for learners with high needs in Takiwātanga. Staff work well with external agencies to develop staff capacity and capability in meeting diverse student needs.
• The Waiū values, aligned to the cultural narrative, guide a learning environment where all learners feel valued and connected. These values are consistently reflected in classroom practice and are used to inform curriculum design.
• Structured programmes, aligned to the The New Zealand Curriculum, are embedding so that staff can monitor individual rates of student progress and improve writing outcomes for targeted groups.
• An impact coaching framework strengthens teaching capability, collaboration and relational practices through an on-going cycle of inquiry, benefitting students.
• Leadership effectively drives the strategic direction of the school, providing clear guidance and tailored support for teachers focused on building staff capability to improve learner outcomes.

Key priorities

• Strengthen teaching capability to improve outcomes for all learners with a focus on writing.
• Embed effective moderation practices to improve assessment data validity and reliability.
• Evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of the schools’ impact coaching framework on learner outcomes.
• Strengthen capacity and capability of the Kawerau South School Board to refine strategic priorities and improve outcomes for all learners.
• Increase regular attendance towards the Government target.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and the School Board work together to improve and implement the attendance management strategy and share with the school community
• leaders and teachers review assessment data to highlight and report rates of progress, identify barriers and implement effective targeted action

Every six months:

• leaders review the impact and effectiveness of the teaching of writing, structured programmes and identify areas for improvement and support
• the School Board and leaders refine attendance management strategies, with a focus on shifting irregular and chronic absence, and share updates with the community
• leaders collate student, staff and community voice to determine the impact and effectiveness of the schools’ impact coaching framework on learner outcomes
• the School Board develops strategic priorities informed by valid achievement data to ensure collective accountability for learner outcomes

Annually:

• school leaders and teachers analyse achievement data and scrutinise assessment practises, evaluating the impact and effectiveness of strategies, interventions and structured programs to improve learner outcomes
• school leaders conduct a comprehensive review of achievement data and assessment practices to monitor and accelerate progress of priority learners, improve strategic goals and inform resourcing decisions
• the School Board and leaders evaluate the effectiveness of attendance management strategies to increase regular learner attendance towards government targets.

Expected outcomes

• Improved achievement, engagement and wellbeing, with a focus on accelerated progress in writing for those learners who need this.
• High quality teaching and learning practices leading to improved, equitable 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.

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

2 March 2026