Koromatua 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  

​​Koromatua School is located in a rural community near Tuhikaramea, Hamilton. The school provides education for 212 students in Years 1 to 8. The school has four te reo Māori bilingual Level 2 reo rua classes catering for 97 students in Years 3 to 8. The school’s motto is Te Pono me Te Aroha - Truth and Love, and its values are Manaakitanga, Aroha, Ngaakau Pono and Ako (MANA). ​ 

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

Expected improvements 

​​​The school focused on evaluating the effectiveness of the school curriculum to improve outcomes for all learners, with specific attention to wellbeing, achievement and strengthening an inclusive Kaupapa for learning and behaviour. The school expected to implement further actions to strengthen student wellbeing, raise achievement, and embed consistent, sustainable schoolwide practices.​​ 

Findings  

​​​Since the previous review, the school has made some progress in strengthening learner wellbeing and engagement. A large majority of learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels, and positive impacts on classroom engagement are evident. However, progress has not yet been sufficient to improve attendance or accelerate achievement for learners most at risk of not achieving. Further action is required to embed consistent schoolwide practices and to progress the school’s priority for equitable and sustainable improvement. ​​  

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 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 not yet​ 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 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 not​ 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. 

Rumaki/Reo Rua outcomes and conditions to support learner 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 

• A large majority of aakonga meet curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. 
• Aakonga engage in their learning, with positive kaiako-aakonga relationships that leverage their success. 
• Attendance of students in the reo rua classes could not be verified. 

Conditions to support learner success 

• Predictable routines, cultural practices (karakia, waiata, pepeha) and structured literacy and mathematics programmes are in place, with strong kaiaawhina support. Coherence of the curriculum and sequencing, and te reo Māori use varies across classes. 
• Orderly environments, clear modelling, rotations and small‑group support are evident. 
• Assessment tools used are yet to be consistently aligned to planning and reporting. Independent digital work is variable in connecting to students’ current learning. 

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 a strong sense of belonging, guided by the school’s MANA values, where positive relationships and affirmation of cultural identity support confidence, engagement, and willingness to take learning risks, particularly in reo rua settings. 
• ​Learners access a wide range of learning opportunities through a curriculum that includes increasingly consistent daily focus on literacy and mathematics, while learners with additional needs are supported to participate in learning. 
• ​Structured approaches to literacy and mathematics are being implemented, with consistent use of agreed programmes to strengthen reading, writing, and mathematics across English and Māori medium classrooms. 
• ​Teachers build shared practice through regular professional learning, feedback, and observation, which supports greater consistency in teaching and strengthens collective responsibility for learner progress. 
• ​School leaders drive strategic direction through active involvement in planned professional learning and classroom practice. 
• ​At leadership level, inquiry processes are used to review teaching practice and analyse evidence to determine what to change, where to target support, and how to improve outcomes for learners.​ 

Key priorities 

• ​​Increase rates of regular student attendance and reduce levels of chronic absence. 
• ​Accelerate progress for learners most at risk of underachievement and improve equity of outcomes. 
• ​Build staff capability to use evidence consistently to demonstrate the impact of teaching on student outcomes and to inform priorities for improvement. 
• ​Co‑design and implement a sequenced curriculum with mana whenua, including paangarau and te reo matatini scope and sequence and clear targets for in-class te reo Maori use.​ 

Actions to bring about improvement  

Within six months: 

• ​​​the school board and leaders implement attendance plan procedures to improve regular attendance  
• ​teachers and leaders monitor the progress of priority learners regularly and adjust support to accelerate progress ​​ 

Every six months: 

• ​​the Koromatua School Board and leaders monitor attendance trends and share key insights with staff, students, whānau and the community to strengthen collective responsibility for improvement 
• ​teachers and leaders evaluate the effectiveness of acceleration strategies for identified learners to determine what is working and where refinement is required 
• ​leaders strengthen consistency in how evaluative findings inform decisions at classroom, team, and leadership levels 
• ​school leaders and kaiako review progress with whanau-mana whenua, review the paangarau and te reo matatini scope and sequence, and adjust the targets for in-class te reo Maaori use to align with everyday practice​ 

Annually: 

• ​​leaders and teachers review and strengthen the attendance strategies, working with parents and whānau to address ongoing barriers to regular attendance 
• ​leaders report on the progress and achievement of identified learners to evaluate the effectiveness of programmes and practices in accelerating learning, improving equity and informing strategic priorities for continuous improvement 
• ​the Board and leaders use evaluative findings to inform strategic planning, professional learning, board reporting, and future improvement priorities 
• ​school leaders evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the actions taken to implement a sequenced curriculum.​ 

Expected outcomes 

• ​​Improved rates of regular attendance towards meeting the Government target of 80%.​ 
• Accelerated progress and increased levels of achievement, supporting learner success and equitable outcomes. 
• Consistent use of evidence and evaluation practices to demonstrate impact on student outcomes and sustain improvement over time. 
• Consistent kaiako and aakonga use of te reo Maaori aligned to agreed curriculum progression and class targets, strengthening aakonga sense of knowing what they are learning and why.  

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​ ​​                                        Sharee Hemingway​
Director of Schools                               Director Ākonga Māori​

​​15 May 2026​