Hato Paora College

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  

​​Hato Paora College​ is a boarding school for Māori students from Years 9 to 13. The school is located in the Manawatu region. The school’s special character is built around the Catholic faith and development of He Tapapa Rangatira, Leaders of Tomorrow. 

There are two parts to this report. 

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

Part A: Current State 

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

Most students make good progress and experience academic success. 

• Almost all Year 11 students gained National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in Level 1, and most gained Level 2, Level 3 and University Entrance; all senior students have attained NCEA literacy and numeracy requirements in the past two years.
• Almost all Year 9 and 10 students are progressing in reading, writing and mathematics, with some making accelerated progress; most students are achieving at or above their expected curriculum levels.
• The school has met the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance with the majority of students attending over 90% of the time. 

Conditions to support learner success 

Strategic leadership, guided by the special character and kaupapa Māori, has embedded school conditions that support learner success. 

• A comprehensive consultation process, involving whānau, resulted in a strategic plan that outlines clear, future-focused priorities for learner outcomes and the school’s direction.
• The Catholic faith and tikanga Māori are highly valued and evident throughout school life.
• High standards, values and expectations built on a foundation of respect and responsibility, contribute to a positive school culture. 

Teaching practice is responsive to learner needs. 

• Leaders and teachers are resourceful and adaptive; they have created a curriculum and timetable that responds well to what students need to engage, progress and achieve.
• A schoolwide focus on literacy, across all learning areas, has resulted in improvements in reading and writing for Year 9 and 10 students.
• Learning is purposeful and students are engaged; respectful relationships exist between teachers and students. 

The school has well aligned systems, structures and processes that enhance learning outcomes. 

• Leaders and teachers use data well, to track and monitor student progress and achievement in  
  Years 9 and 10; this well analysed data is used to inform decision-making and to support at risk-students in literacy and numeracy.
• Links with outside agencies enhance and extend learning opportunities for senior students.
• Engagement with whānau is positive; the school provides numerous opportunities that encourages the high participation of whānau in the life of the school.
• Staff professional development decisions are clearly learner focused, based on school priorities and responsive to emerging student needs. 

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• continue with the schoolwide literacy programme, to sustain gains made in implementation of this and to further enhance junior student achievement in reading and writing
• further develop the curriculum to better reflect local contexts to strengthen student engagement and understanding of the local area
• evaluate the assessment programme, so that in the senior school, students have confidence in undertaking externally assessed NCEA standards for endorsements and to widen future pathways. 

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

Within six months: 

• continue to incorporate the literacy initiative across all curriculum areas and build staff capability as needed for consistency in teaching
• teachers evaluate the extent to which the local curriculum is evident in their programmes of learning and respond accordingly
• develop an action plan to review school assessment practices, including at junior levels, so that in the senior school higher levels of confidence to undertake external assessments in NCEA is apparent. 

Every six months: 

• report analysed mid-year Year 9 and 10 literacy achievement data to the board, to gauge the consistency of implementation of the literacy initiative and the effectiveness on student outcomes
• report on the extent to which programmes of learning reflect the local curriculum and plans to include further local contexts
• report on attendance to the board to monitor that high levels are sustained and if not to respond accordingly. 

Annually: 

• report to the board analysed student attendance, progress and achievement information to inform ongoing school improvement
• evaluate and report on the effectiveness of the literacy initiative on student outcomes in reading and writing to inform teaching and learning planning
• evaluate the extent to which localised curriculum contexts are evident in teacher planning and practices across the school and respond accordingly
• review the impact of the evaluation of assessment practices, particularly in promoting external assessment opportunities. 

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

• raised achievement in reading and writing; all teachers are consistently using identified literacy strategies
• sustained and improved high levels of attendance
• local curriculum contexts are evident in programmes of learning across the school and support the engagement of students in their learning
• increased numbers of students are enrolled and achieving NCEA externally assessed standards. 

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 

Sharon Kelly 
Acting Director of Schools 

​​10 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