Te Rapa 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 

Te Rapa School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. Of the 498 learners enrolled, 44% identify as New Zealand European/Pākehā, 30% as Māori and 20% as Asian. The School’s HEART values are Honesty, Excellence, Aroha, Respect and Teamwork.

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 December 2020 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school evaluated how effectively inquiry learning programmes enhanced, contributed and strengthened students’ critical thinking, understanding of learning and improved and sustained achievement.

Findings

The school developed a highly interactive inquiry framework which provides opportunities for all learners to build knowledge, levels of understanding and critical thinking skills. Teachers skilfully use targeted teaching strategies to challenge students to question, research and find creative solutions. School data information shows that inquiry learning enables students to sustain levels of progress, and achievement across the curriculum. 

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 1 to 8

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 is developing a suitable plan 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 is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers are developing their use of assessment information 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 is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school has to some extent 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 for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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

• A wide range of pastoral care initiatives are in place to support learner’s progress, wellbeing and sense of belonging within a support school culture.
• A rich, knowledge-based curriculum deliberately provides learners with choice, challenge and meaningful learning opportunities.
• Considered inclusive practices continue to support learners that require support with their learning.
• Targeted professional learning strengthens and builds consistency in quality teacher practice and contributes to increases in learner outcomes including literacy and mathematics teaching programmes.

Key priorities

• Reduce inequity of achievement for groups of learners through increased scrutiny of data and targeted, explicit teaching.
• Develop and implement assessment practices aligned with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum and assessment and reporting requirements.
• Develop annual implementation plan improvement priorities and targets that focus on increasing outcomes for all learners in literacy and mathematics.
• Improve schoolwide attendance through the strengthening and implementation of the attendance management plan. 

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• The board and leaders review annual progress and achievement data to support schoolwide annual improvement priorities for literacy and mathematics in the annual plan 
• the board and school leaders review, strengthen and implement the attendance management plan

Within six months:

• the principal reports to the board on the impact of teacher professional development in structured literacy and mathematics including the acceleration of achievement, and the progress of all learners receiving targeted support
• the principal reports to the board on the impact of the attendance management plan and makes adjustment to continue to improve regular attendance

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review and report the board on the impact of professional teaching practices through classroom observations, and it impact on learners’ progress and achievement
• the principal reports to the board on the ongoing development of new assessment and reporting practices and its impact on increasing learners progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics
• the board and principal continue to closely monitor levels of attendance and, if needed, make changes to increase regular attendance

Annually:

• the principal and teachers analyse and report on the impact of strengthened assessment and reporting and focused teacher practices on schoolwide achievement in literacy and mathematics to set improvement goals and targets
• the principal and board review the attendance management plan to ensure sustained improved regular attendance. 

Expected outcomes

• Reduced achievement gaps between groups of learners through increased scrutiny of achievement information and targeted, explicit teaching.
• Assessment and reporting practices, well aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum, are developed and implemented in line with assessment and reporting requirements. 
• An annual implementation plan that prioritises improvement targets and equitable outcomes for all learners in literacy and mathematics. 
• Sustained rates of high, regular attendance through the strengthening and implementation of an Attendance Management Plan.

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

Actions for compliance 

ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• Ensure a comprehensive child protection policy is implemented, and that staff roles and responsibilities are clear and supported by regular child protection training
  [Sections 18 and 19 of the Children’s Act 2014]

The board is yet to address the area of non-compliance identified.

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

8 April 2026