Gate Pa 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 

Gate Pa School provides Māori-medium and English medium education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school roll is 377 students. Māori-medium education is provided through Kōpūrererua, which includes 
Level 1 immersion for 49 learners. Teaching and learning in the English-medium classes and Level 3 Māori-medium classes are guided by The New Zealand Curriculum, while teaching and learning in the Level 1 Māori-medium setting are guided by Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

The school roll comprises a wide range of ethnic groups, including Māori (46%), Asian (28%), Pākehā|NZ European (14%), Pacific (10%), and Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (0.7%).

Gate Pa School acknowledges Ngāti Ranginui as mana whenua and the paramount iwi of the area.

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

Expected improvements

The school focused on strengthening teaching expectations and foundations in literacy. They expected improved outcomes for all learners through equitable, needs-based early literacy opportunities, stronger connections with early childhood education, and improved outcomes for learners with additional needs.

Findings 

The school made positive and sustained progress by embedding teaching practices aligned with a structured approach. This enhances learner outcomes and strengthens engagement, particularly in the junior school. Structured programmes and early intervention strategies accelerate progress for all learners, especially those entering the school below curriculum expectations. The school developed and implemented a plan to strengthen transition processes, with a deliberate focus on supporting learners with additional needs. 

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 Years 0 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 small 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.
• Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time. 

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.

A significant proportion of the school roll include English language learners (ESOL).

• 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 to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Rumaki/Reo Rua outcomes and conditions to support learner success 

This section of the report provides more detail about the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of te reo Māori in rumaki/Reo Rua classroom/s within in English medium schools.

Learner success and wellbeing

• A large majority of ākonga are achieving at or above curriculum expectations in pānui and pāngarau, and a small majority in tuhituhi.
• Ākonga benefit from consistent, positive learning conditions, strengthened by a collaborative and culturally responsive environment.
• Ākonga demonstrate a strong sense of identity, belonging and pride as Māori.

Conditions to support learner success

• Learning is supported in a te reo Māori rich environment, authentically anchored in the narratives, histories, and cultural contexts of Ngā iwi o Tauranga Moana and Ngāi Tamarāwaho. 
• Leadership and governance prioritise iwi aspirations, whānau partnership and shared expectations for supporting ākonga.
• Values-based practices - rangatiratanga, tūmanakotanga, manaakitanga, and whanaungatanga - foster reciprocal relationships across the kura community including pathways into and beyond Kōpūrererua.

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

• The school has a clear focus on supporting positive outcomes for learners, particularly Māori learners and fosters an environment where local narratives are valued and embedded in school practices.
• Neurodiverse learners and those with additional needs are supported through explicit interventions that effectively respond to their learning and wellbeing needs.
• Learners benefit from a curriculum informed by the school’s cultural narrative and embedded values, with opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.
• A well-embedded coaching and mentoring framework drives improvement in teaching practice, collaboration and relational capability through a continuous inquiry cycle that accelerates learner progress.
• Leaders are strengthening professional capacity of staff through targeted and responsive professional learning that supports improvements in teaching practices and learner outcomes.
• Leadership is visible and collaborative, with systems and processes that support a positive and accountable culture that drives continuous school improvement.
• Parents and whānau are actively involved, with the school drawing on Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles to strengthen community relationships and encourage shared ownership of learner success.

Key priorities

• Improve overall writing achievement for all learners
• Increase regular attendance towards Government targets
• Strengthen strategic planning to further develop long term sustainability, appropriate resourcing, and clarity of direction that supports the ongoing viability and growth of the rumaki pathway.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• governance and leadership review professional growth plan and capability building needs for rumaki kaiako, to ensure ongoing improvement in marau ā-kura, te reo, and Māori-medium teaching practice

Within six months:

• teachers engage in targeted professional learning to strengthen capacity and capability aligned to an agreed research-based school approach to improving writing outcomes for learners at risk of not achieving
• Leadership and Kaiako embed a tailored, sustainable professional growth plan that strengthens confidence in te reo rangatira, pāngarau and marau implementation, using in school expertise, mentoring and local Māori medium networks

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers monitor writing progress through robust achievement data analysis to identify barriers and implement targeted interventions to improve learner outcomes
• leaders and the Gate Pa School Board refine attendance management strategies, with a specific focus on shifting irregular absence

Annually:

• leaders analyse, evaluate and report to the School Board on the effectiveness of targeted actions, programmes and interventions on learner outcomes, to inform strategic direction and resourcing decisions
• leaders and the school Board evaluate the effectiveness of attendance management strategies in increasing regular attendance towards Government targets
• governance and leadership evaluate the effectiveness of strategic planning against outcomes for Te Whare Reo ākonga and use findings to prioritise next steps for improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Sustained improvement in writing achievement is evident across year levels for all learners.
• Priority groups of learners demonstrate accelerated progress and improved achievement over time, resulting in sustained success across learning areas.
• Improved regular attendance that meets or exceeds Government targets.
• Strengthened growth and long-term sustainability of Te Whare Reo, leading to improved outcomes for ākonga.

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.

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

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

28 April 2026