Otumoetai Primary 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

Ōtūmoetai Primary School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school has 518 learners, 49% are New Zealand European/Pākehā, 23% identify as Māori, 16% Asian, and 7% Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African.

The school’s vision is Ū ana te ako - Actively Involved Learners. This vision is supported by the school’s CARE values – Confident|Māia, Adventurous|Manawanui, Respectful|Manaaki and Encouraging|Whakamana.

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

Expected improvements

The school evaluated how well school conditions enable equitable outcomes and raise the level of academic success for all, with a particular focus on boys and Māori students. 

The school also focused on enhancing effective learning partnerships with parents and whānau and further strengthening culturally responsive practices were priorities for the school.

The school expected to see further actions implemented to continue the effective delivery of the curriculum to enable equitable opportunities for all students.

Findings

Sustained high levels of achievement and equitable outcomes for most groups of learners have been evident since the last review. Learning partnerships continue to strengthen. The school upholds the special place of Māori as tangata whenua, maintains relationships with Ngāi Tamarāwaho, and authentically embed te reo, tikanga and te ao Māori throughout its learning programmes.  

The school affirms and values all cultures and the rich diversity they bring, with a strong emphasis on learners understanding and respecting one another’s culture. Delivery of the curriculum is enhanced through clear, well documented processes, shared expectations and deliberate, supportive leadership.  

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.

• The large majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.

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.
• Assessment information is used well 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 has good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school has significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school has significantly extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets set for 2030.

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

• Positive and collaborative relationships are clearly evident across the school community contributing to a strong sense of belonging and shared purpose.
• Teachers and leaders monitor data carefully, identify and plan for accelerating progress of target learners. Results show little disparity between groups; however, boys are not achieving as well as girls in writing.
• Leadership provides clear direction and promotes high quality teaching. Leaders embed consistent and systematic practices that support staff to maintain a sustained focus on improving learner outcomes in alignment with the school’s strategic priorities.
• Structured approaches in literacy and mathematics are effectively implemented across the school and contribute to increasingly coherent teaching practice. Students benefit from programmes supported by specialist teachers and meaningful learning beyond the classroom.
• The meaningful integration of local histories, narratives, and cultural knowledge throughout the learning environment and curriculum strengthens students’ understanding, identity, and sense of belonging.
• Leaders have robust processes to support and provide feedback to teachers on their practice. Teachers are reflective practitioners who engage in ongoing inquiry and demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous improvement and meeting the needs of their learners.

Key priorities

• Consolidate the implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum and sustain high-quality teaching practices across the school.
• Refine and adapt assessment and reporting systems to align with Ministry of Education guidelines.
• Improve achievement and attendance outcomes for all learners through targeted actions and ongoing monitoring.
• Strengthen systems and processes to meet legislative and regulatory requirements. 

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and board update internal systems for compliance with safety and personnel regulations
• leaders align school’s assessment and reporting tools and processes with Ministry of Education guidelines and refreshed curriculum requirements

Every six months:

• leaders provide professional development to support teachers' implementation of curriculum changes
• teachers and leaders review targeted learners’ progress to identify what is working and what needs to be changed to accelerate the learning
• teachers and leaders analyse and use assessment information to track learner progress and achievement, identify disparities, and inform teaching
• leaders monitor and review the impact of strategies to improve attendance

Annually:

• leaders and teachers evaluate the implementation of curriculum on teaching practice and learner outcomes and use to inform planning for next year
• leaders review assessment and reporting practices and make changes as needed
• leaders evaluate the school attendance strategies and impact on improving attendance and report to the board and community
• the board and leaders sustain a schedule for cyclical review of legislative and regulatory processes. 

Expected outcomes

• New Zealand Curriculum changes consolidated, and high-quality teaching and learning practices sustained across the school.
• Assessment and reporting processes that align with Ministry of Education guidelines are used to inform teaching, learning and reporting.
• Increased progress, achievement and regular attendance for all learners.
• Effective and coherent procedures for meeting legislative requirements.

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.

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 

The board and ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• school evacuation plan approved by, and 6 monthly drills reported to Fire and Emergency New Zealand 
  [Part 2, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018]
• police vetting of non-teaching staff before employment and every three years
  [section 104 and Schedule 4 of the Education and Training Act 2020]
• all aspects of workforce safety checking and risk assessment completed prior to employment.
  [Sections 25, 26 and 27 of the Children’s Act 2014: Safety checks of children’s workers, Regulations 5 – 8 of the Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015]

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

Provision for international students 

This section is about the quality of the provision of education for international students enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were 16 international students attending the school, and no exchange students. 

The schools’ processes for annual self-review and pastoral care are effective and well-integrated, ensuring compliance with the 2021 Code of Practice and promoting student well-being and inclusion.

International students participate fully in learning and school life are well supported through induction and cultural support. The school provides quality education and pastoral care that supports international students to thrive as part of the school community.

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

18 March 2026