Ruapehu College

School Evaluation 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 

Ruapehu College in Ohakune is a co-educational secondary school for students in Years 9 to 13 with a roll of 239 students. It offers Alternative Education nearby and is a member of the local Kāhui ako. 59% of students identify as Māori and 61% as Pākehā | New Zealand European, 5% of Pacific heritage and 4% Asian (students may identify as being of more than one ethnicity). The school's vision is Rapuhia Kote Mātauranga; pursuing excellence to develop learners who positively impact their community and the world.

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

Expected improvements and findings

This section is about the progress the school has made since the January 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Since the previous report ERO and the school have been working together to evaluate how well the school prepares all learners with the literacy and numeracy skills essential for equitable access to the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and success in their chosen career pathway.

Expected Improvements

The college expected to see learners with the necessary literacy and numeracy skills to equitably access NCEA and their chosen pathway options.

Findings

Student achievement of the literacy and numeracy requirements of NCEA has improved. Most learners are successful in achieving the literacy and numeracy requirement of NCEA. Nearly all students are successful with the writing component. The implementation of shared approaches for teaching writing across the school supports learners to understand requirements and has improved the quality of writing for learners who have been at the college since Year 9.

The careful tracking and identification of learners who need extra support is in place and appropriate interventions help them to equitably undertake NCEA. A range of pathways options are now available to learners in the senior school. Learners are supported to remain at school to gain the necessary qualifications to support their chosen career pathway option. 

Other Findings

During the evaluation it was found that the schoolwide teaching focus on writing has helped more learners to undertake NCEA assessments. The greatest shift that occurred is recognising the positive impact of a shared teaching approach. A collective responsibility for teaching writing is now well embedded, and all teachers know what good quality writing looks like in their curriculum area. 

What we know about learner success

This is a summary of learner success, which guides the School Board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• Most learners achieve the literacy and numeracy component required to gain NCEA.
• The small majority of learners achieve NCEA Level 2 and 3, less than half of learners achieved NCEA Level 1 in 2024 and less than half achieve University Entrance (UE).
• Progress in writing and mathematics is evident for most learners with room to improve progress in reading.
• Learners with additional education needs are known and appropriate interventions are in place to support their learning and progress.
• The small majority of students attend schools regularly. The school has recently reviewed its attendance processes and implemented an attendance plan; attendance is improving but does not yet meet Government targets.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders work to realise the aspirations of their community. They have effective relationships with iwi, Kāhui Ako and other community groups and regularly seek and respond to feedback.
• Leaders work collaboratively with others in the Kāhui Ako to improve learners’ transition into high school.
• Leaders sustain a culture committed to high quality teaching. They facilitate ongoing internal and external professional learning that is clearly aligned to the school’s strategic intent.
• Leaders maintain networks of support within and beyond the school. Established relationships support a range of pathway options for learners and keep leaders abreast of new developments in education.

• A focus on the foundation areas of literacy and numeracy is evident. A collective responsibility for coherently teaching writing across the curriculum from Year 9 is making positive difference to outcomes.
• Teaching and learning are continually strengthened through an embedded professional learning programme aligned with the school’s strategic aims.
• Teachers’ participation in professional learning is building confidence in te reo Māori me ona tikanga, raises expectations for learner outcomes and is supported by the school’s own performance system.
• Learners enjoy a family-like learning environment where their learning is well understood by their teachers. Relationships are founded on mutual trust and allow learners to seek help when required.

• Teachers and staff work collectively and creatively to offer a range of support and opportunities for learners. A curriculum review is planned so that opportunities are coherent with barriers identified and mitigated.
• The school has an important role in the local Kāhui ako. The school recognises its role in the community and deliberately fosters effective relationships with iwi and other community groups.
• Commitment to and demonstration of tangata whenuatanga by leaders and staff is evident. Continuing to build teacher confidence in te reo me ona tikanga Māori will further the school’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Further growing and embedding the school’s academic mentoring programme, and tracking and monitoring achievement and attendance, is a next step.

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 identifies actions for improvement.

Key priorities

• Undertake a comprehensive curriculum review to fully support learners’ pathway choices.
• Identify and remove barriers for learning and provide a vision for success that is well understood and enacted.
• Improve achievement in reading and mathematics building on the successful approaches used for writing
• Reduce disparities for groups of learners at higher levels of NCEA and in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
• Improve regular attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers use the school’s attendance plan to support improving attendance

Every six months:

• leaders analyse information for literacy and numeracy and share a summary with the School Board to help with decision making and resourcing
• leaders summarise curriculum review findings and share them with the Board to aid strategic planning
• leaders analyse attendance information, along with strategies used to support improved attendance rates, and share with the Board to inform annual reporting goals

Annually:

• the Board and leaders consult the community to inform strategic and annual plans
• the Board and leaders report attendance, wellbeing, achievement, retention and pathways information to the community to show the progress made in learner outcomes.

Expected outcomes

• Improved rates of attendance, achievement, wellbeing and retention.
• Increased numbers of learners who successfully achieve the literacy and numeracy component of the NCEA and subsequent national qualifications.
• A coherent curriculum that supports all learners to pursue their chosen pathway and achieve relevant qualifications.
• Culturally responsive practises used by teachers who respond confidently in the classroom to support learning.

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation 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 (Acting)

3 September 2025