Ngutunui 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 

Ngutunui School is a primary school located south of Pirongia Village between Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga and provides education for Years 1 to 8. The current roll of 46 students includes 33 % who identify as Māori. The school mission statement is nurture the seed and it will blossom. 

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

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 

How well are learners succeeding? The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning? The school is improving teaching and learning.How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs?

Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in literacy and mathematics.

Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.

How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement? School planning and conditions to support ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school reasonably promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?The school is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.Student Health and SafetyThe school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.

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. 

Less than a third 

Less than half 

Small majority 

Large majority 

Most 

Almost all 

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 64%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

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 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 not yet 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 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 demonstrate a strong sense of wellbeing and pride in their school, which leads to high engagement and positive relationships.
• School leaders foster a culture of professional learning and development among staff, enhancing curriculum knowledge and teaching practice.
• Staff are taking steps to embed structured literacy and mathematics across the school.
• Teachers integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori into teaching and learning that supports positive outcomes for all learners.
• The School Board and school leaders use evidence from various sources, including community consultations and student achievement information, to evaluate and guide the school’s strategic direction with a focus on continuous improvement.

Key priorities 

• Building teacher capability in the use of assessment practices to accelerate student progress and achievement in writing and mathematics.
• Aligning teaching, learning and assessment practices with the new curriculum requirements in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Improving regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers embed structured literacy and mathematics approaches in all classes
• leaders and teachers use assessment practices that accurately measure student progress and achievement

Within six months:

• leaders to monitor how well teachers use assessment information to guide planning to ensure responsive programmes and engaging opportunities for learning

Every six months:

• leaders to review the impact of ongoing staff professional learning on embedding new curriculum expectations for teaching and assessment practices and improving learner outcomes
• leaders will review how ongoing staff professional learning affects new curriculum and assessment implementation, as well as student learning outcomes
• leaders and teachers monitor rates of student attendance to identify the impact of attendance strategies to inform further school actions

Annually:

• leaders and the School Board evaluate the impact of improvement actions on student achievement and plan next steps to continue enhancing reading, writing, and mathematics programmes
• leaders and the Board to review information about student attendance to inform next steps and strategies to increase regular attendance rates.

Expected outcomes

• A consistent approach to teaching and learning and across the school.
• The effective use of student progress and achievement information to support continuous improvement in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Improved regular student 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

Actions for Compliance 

ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the Board assurance process:

• every safety check of a person must comply with the requirements for safety checks for core or non-core workers
  [s31 (1) Children’s Act 2014].

The Board has since addressed the area 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

10 October 2025