Opotiki School

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. 

Context  

​​Opotiki School​ provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school shares strong links to Te Whakatōhea Iwi, and neighbouring iwi: Tuhoe, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāitai and Ngāti Awa. The school motto ‘Manaakitia-ō-Pōtiki’ which means ‘To care for and nurture our children’ was gifted by local Māori.  

There are three parts to this report. 

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation. 

Part B: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.  

Part C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.  

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals  

Since the previous report in July 2022, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate how well schoolwide practices promote maximum opportunity for all learners to learn and achieve improved outcomes, particularly in mathematics. 

Expected Improvements and Findings  

The school expected to see: 

Improvement in consistent and coherent teaching and learning across the school. 

• A structured mathematics approach has been implemented schoolwide resulting in improved consistency of teaching and learning across the school. 

Sufficient and equitable opportunities for learners to achieve at their appropriate curriculum level.  

• Learner outcomes in mathematics have improved, with increasingly effective transitions for learners between year levels. 
• The majority of learners are now progressing and achieving at or above their expected curriculum level in mathematics. 

Other Findings  

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that the school has embedded systems and processes for supporting learner wellbeing and inclusion, particularly for those requiring more individual support.  

Collaborative monitoring of learner progress and achievement is strengthening, leading to increased consistency of teaching and learning in response to learner needs. 

Part B: Current State  

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement. 

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• A large majority of learners achieve at or above curriculum level expectations in mathematics; a smaller majority of learners achieve at or above expected levels in reading and writing. 
• Accelerated progress in mathematics is evident for many learners; priority remains to improve outcomes for all learners not yet achieving their expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  
• Less than half of all learners attend school regularly, however, the rate of regular attendance has improved in 2024; the school continues to work towards meeting the Ministry of Education attendance target.  

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders increasingly support and promote leadership opportunities for teachers, building expertise and capability within the school.   
• Established expectations for high quality teaching and learning are shared and monitored; this has increased consistency of planning and curriculum implementation across the school. 
• Leaders have established collaborative networks and learning programmes to increase opportunities for learning and success, particularly for those learners requiring additional support.

• Structured literacy and mathematics teaching practices enable improved progress for learners in reading, writing and mathematics. 
• Respectful and collaborative teacher-learner relationships support an inclusive environment and increasingly promote student engagement in learning. 
• Strengthened processes for teachers to collectively monitor learner progress and achievement has led to improved consistency in responsive planning to meet learner needs. 
• Learners needing additional support are identified and provided with increasingly effective assistance that progresses their learning.

• Leaders and teachers provide regular opportunities for parents, whānau and iwi to share aspirations for learners and to engage in school life; information is increasingly used to inform school priorities.  
• Inclusion and wellbeing are prioritised; staff actively engage with whānau to improve attendance and learning outcomes.  
• Teachers and leaders have improved their use of assessment information to respond more effectively to learner needs; this remains a focus to support ongoing improvement.  

Part C: Where to next?  

The agreed next steps for the school are to:  

• improve outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics, with a particular focus on accelerated progress for those not yet meeting curriculum expectations  
• embed and sustain schoolwide consistency for planning and implementation of the structured mathematics and literacy 
• consolidate and strengthen processes, including the effective use of assessment practices, for teachers and leaders to regularly monitor and evaluate the impact of teaching and learning on learner progress and achievement 
• monitor and review strategies to improve rates of regular attendance for all learners. 

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows. 

Within six months: 

• identify teachers' strengths and development needs in assessment practices to inform professional learning requirements 
• develop improvement plans for literacy and mathematics that include monitoring and evaluating student progress and next steps for continued improvement 
• review and strengthen processes to collectively monitor the impact of teaching, learning and use of assessment information on learner progress and achievement 

Every six months: 

• monitor the levels of accelerated progress for learners identified as not yet achieving expected outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics to inform actions for continued progress 
• scrutinise how well assessment information is used to monitor learner progress and to guide responsive teaching and learning in reading, writing and mathematics 
• monitor and report on the impact of strategies used to improve learner attendance  

Annually: 

• evaluate learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, with a particular focus on improved equity and accelerated progress for learners not achieving at expected curriculum levels; use this information to support ongoing improvement priorities 
• analyse how well teachers and leaders are using assessment information to effectively respond to learner needs; use these findings to clarify strengths and areas for improvement 
• evaluate schoolwide consistency in the planning and implementation of structured mathematics and literacy learning programmes, to support sustainability of practice and positive learning outcomes 
• analyse and report on patterns and improvements in attendance, to inform ongoing improvement priorities. 

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in: 

• improved rates of regular attendance and increased engagement, achievement and equitable outcomes for all learners in literacy and mathematics 
• strengthened processes for effective monitoring and evaluation of the impact of teaching and learning on learners’ progress and achievement  
• embedded systems and processes for gathering and using assessment information to guide schoolwide improvement priorities and supporting actions. 

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three 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.

Shelley Booysen 
Director of Schools 

​​23 January 2025​ 

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home