Waimata 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

Waimata School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The current roll of 60 learners includes 53% of learners who identify as Māori, 37% Pākehā/ New Zealand European and a small number of from other ethnic backgrounds.

The school’s vision of Whaia te iti kahurangi |To be the best I can be is underpinned by the values of kia maia, manaakitanga, matatika and whanaungatanga. 

A new principal was appointed in Term 4, 2024.

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

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.

How well are learners succeeding?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning?The school is improving teaching and learning.How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs?

Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain foundational skills in  literacy and mathematics.

Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.

How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement?The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school is taking steps to improve learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?

The school is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school is improving its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Student Health and SafetyThe school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.

Achievement in Years 1 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.

Less than a third

Less than half

Small majority

Large majority

Most

Almost all

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 64%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

• Less than half of students attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% for 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 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.

Approximately half of all learners at the school receive additional learning support.

• 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

• The principal is establishing high expectations of staff for increasing achievement, attendance and quality teaching. They have a strong focus on growing teachers’ capability and improving outcomes.
• The principal and school Board work collaboratively to develop strategic priorities for school improvement and enable equitable opportunities for students to learn.
• Students with additional needs are provided with individualised planning to support their learning. A supportive culture and caring approach enable teachers to use responsive and inclusive practices.
• A structured approach to the teaching of literacy is being implemented across the school. Teachers participate in training for structured approaches to teaching and learning in mathematics.
• The school’s curriculum enriches learning in te reo, tikanga and te ao Māori and supports a strong sense of belonging in a whānau environment for learners.
• Provision of targeted professional learning aligned with strategic planning builds teacher capabilities to promote learner progress and wellbeing.
• The principal actively promotes regular discussion and inquiry with staff about outcomes for learners to inform responsive planning for improvement.

Key priorities

• Increase rates of regular student attendance and reduce chronic absence.
• Develop effective analysis of achievement data to inform targeted planning and actions.
• Build collective capability to accelerate student learning.
• Raise overall achievement in reading, writing and mathematics and improve equitable outcomes for identified groups of students.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• the principal and school Board set targets to shift irregular attendance into the regular category

Within six months:

• the principal and teachers develop shared understanding and consistency of teaching practices across the team to improve accelerated progress in learning

Every six months:

• the principal, teachers and school Board monitor progress against attendance targets and respond to the ongoing needs of students and their families/whānau
• the principal and teachers monitor and report on rates of accelerated progress for all students, especially those at risk of not achieving

Annually:

• the principal and school Board review and strengthen the attendance plan strategies and share insights with whānau to promote collective responsibility for improvement
• the principal evaluates and reports on the effectiveness of programmes and teaching practices to improve progress and achievement and further inform planning for targeted actions.

Expected outcomes

• Improved rates of regular attendance towards the Government target of 80%.
• Strengthened consistent implementation of new curriculum and assessment guidelines for teaching and learning.
• Increased rates of accelerated learning progress improve equitable outcomes and raise overall achievement.

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 processes are in place to monitor the expiry and renewal of staff who hold a Limited Authority to Teach
  [Education and Training Act 2020; Schedule 3, Clause 14].

The board  has since addressed 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

5 March 2026