Taneatua 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 

​​Taneatua School​ provides education for students in Years 1 to 8 in the rural township of Taneatua, near Whakatāne. Most student whakapapa to hapū within Ngāi Tūhoe, the local iwi. The school has six English medium and two rumaki classes, Te Uruuru Mātauranga. 

There have been two relieving principals in the school over the past year. The school board is in the process of appointing a permanent principal. 

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 August 2021, ERO and the school worked together to evaluate how well the school has developed effective systems and processes for internal evaluation. 

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expected to see:

Established systems to consistently track and monitor student progress and achievement.

• Processes for tracking and monitoring student progress and achievement are in early stages of development and are not yet consistent across the school.

Improved progress and achievement for all students, with emphasis on accelerated progress for those not yet achieving expected curriculum levels.

• A small number of students are progressing within curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics; improving students’ progress and achievement is a key next step.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, the school established a second Rumaki class and strengthened cultural connections within the school, its community and iwi.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the embedding across the school of Ngāi Tūhoe karakia, hīmene and waiata. This has resulted in increased student engagement in learning and a sense of belonging within their cultural identity.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• A small majority of students are achieving at their expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics with a small number of targeted students making accelerated progress, particularly in reading.
• Reliable schoolwide student achievement information is in the initial stages of development.
• Less than a third of students attend school regularly; improving regular attendance is an urgent priority for the school, whānau and community to address.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders focus on improving the consistency of teaching programmes through high expectations for quality teaching and learning to lift student outcomes.
• Students requiring learning support are identified and provided with assistance that is beginning to progress their learning.
• Students’ confidence and knowledge in their identity and culture is growing through planned, daily integration of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into learning programmes.

• A structured literacy approach in the junior school supports improved outcomes for some students in reading.
• Teachers are beginning to use assessment information to guide planning to meet the learning needs of students; this as an area for ongoing improvement.
• Respectful teacher and student relationships support an inclusive learning environment that promotes learning and a sense of belonging.

• Leaders are beginning to involve parents and whānau to share their aspirations for their children; this information should be used to inform the school’s strategic planning and curriculum priorities.
• Students’ wellbeing and hauora is supported through an established programme, linked to school values, that focuses on positively growing skills for self-regulation, identity and sense of belonging.
• Increasing the use of data and evidence to better inform planning, monitoring and evaluation for improvement remains a priority for teachers, leaders and the board.
• Increasing the effective use of data and evidence by teachers, leaders and the board to inform planning and conditions that support the quality of education for learners, is a priority.

Rumaki/Bilingual Outcomes and Conditions to Support Tamariki

Tamariki success and wellbeing 

• Te Marau o Tūhoe ensures tamariki learning is grounded in the reo and tikanga of Tūhoe and Te Haahi Ringatu. Kaiako promote authentic learning for tamariki through the participation in a range of local kaupapa.
• Kaiako provide a range of scaffolding strategies to support learning in Te Uruuru Mātauranga. Language acceleration through the practice of karakia, hīmene and waiata is prioritised to support the progress of tamariki not yet achieving at their expected curriculum levels.
• Quality reo speaking kaiako and kaiāwhina with deep knowledge and practices of Tūhoe and the re-establishment of Te Kura Teina, are preparing tamariki to transition seamlessly within Te Uruuru Mātauranga. 

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• develop schoolwide consistency in effective assessment practices and responsive teaching strategies to support high expectations for student achievement and quality teaching and learning
• improve student outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics, with an urgent focus on accelerating the progress for those who are not yet meeting curriculum level expectations
• prioritise strategic goals and objectives to develop and grow Te Uruuru Mātauranga, to meaningfully engage tamariki in learning
• improve rates of regular attendance for all students.

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

Within three months:

• implement improvement plans for literacy and mathematics development that include regular monitoring of teacher practice, outcomes for students, and next steps for continued progress
• establish and monitor schoolwide assessment practices for teachers and leaders to consistently evaluate the impact of teaching practices on student outcomes
• develop and implement strategies to improve rates of attendance for students by setting an annual improvement target with a supporting action plan
• collaborate with whānau hapū and iwi to inform the strategic growth and development of Te Uruuru Mātauranga

Every six months:

• review the quality of teaching, learning and assessment practices in reading, writing and mathematics; use this information to prioritise actions for continued improvement
• monitor accelerated progress for students identified as not yet achieving expected outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics, to identify areas of success and guide responsive next steps
• review and evaluate the progress of Te Uruuru Mātauranga and the impact on tamariki learning and wellbeing, to inform ongoing progress
• monitor and report on the impact of strategies used to improve regular student attendance

Annually: 

• thoroughly analyse student achievement and accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics; use this information to guide targeted teaching and strategic planning priorities
• evaluate schoolwide consistency in the planning and implementation of reading, writing and mathematics teaching, to establish high quality teaching practice and improvement priorities
• analyse and report on the effectiveness of Te Uruuru Mātauranga strategic goals and objectives for improving tamariki learning and wellbeing
• assess and report attendance patterns and successful strategies to improve regular attendance levels. 

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

• significantly improved, schoolwide engagement and achievement outcomes for all students in literacy and mathematics
• effective use of assessment information to guide schoolwide improvement priorities, and improve teaching and learning practices
• improved outcomes through the quality provision of te reo Māori for all tamariki in Te Uruuru Mātauranga
• increased rates of regular attendance.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education provide Taneatua School with tailored support and access to leadership and teacher professional development to:

• increase teachers’ knowledge and understanding of effective teaching, learning and assessment practices in literacy and mathematics, to accelerate students’ progress and achievement
• improve the proficiency for leadership of learning, and stewardship to develop sustainable schoolwide systems and processes for ongoing school improvements, to support the quality of education for students.

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 student
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

​​Sharon Kelly
Director of Schools (Acting)

​​14 March 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