Pirongia School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 16 months of the Education Review Office and Pirongia School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Pīrongia School is located next to Pīrongia Maunga in the Waikato, providing education for students in Years 1 to 8. The principal, presiding member and senior leadership team provide leadership for the school community.

Pirongia School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are for learners to be:

• confident, kia māia, succeed and make a difference today and tomorrow

• connected, kia hono, make positive connections to each other, their learning and their local environment

• capable, kia kaha, be equipped with the capabilities to achieve their personal best.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Pirongia School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school enacts its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• strengthen and nurture reciprocal relationships with iwi, hapū and marae

• develop a framework for expectations to support teachers to engage with mana whenua

• strengthen opportunities to learn through tikanga Māori, providing access to te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori for all learners.

The school expects to see:

• stronger learner centred reciprocal relationships with local iwi, hapū and marae

• learning programmes that are inclusive of te reo and appropriate tikanga

• consistent use of iwi and hapū specific te reo and tikanga Māori across the school.  

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the school’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi:

• Collaborative school leaders and staff who are committed to ensuring improved outcomes for all learners.

• An established plan for improvement that clarifies actions, milestones and indicators of success.

• Existing relationships with the school community that are based on student success.

• Enacted school values that support an inclusive environment where students feel a sense of connection and belonging.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• strengthening the implementation of the school’s local curriculum.

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

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

24 July 2023

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