Waipahihi 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

Waipahihi School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. In 2024 the school had 366 learners, with 30 % identifying as Māori. The School Board appointed a new principal in Term 2 of 2025. The school’s vision is for students to be Immersed in Learning and its CORE values are Courage | Kaha, Ownership | Mana, Respect | Whakaute and Empathy | Aroha.

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?Success and progress for all learners is increasing.What is the quality of teaching and learning?

Learners benefit from high quality teaching practice that improves progress and achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics.

 

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 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?School planning and conditions to support ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school successfully promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?

The school reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school responds well to a wide range 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 0 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. 

Less than a third

Less than half

Small majority

Large majority

Most

Almost all

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 65%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

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

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

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

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more 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.

• The small majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is 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.

• The school has 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.

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

• Students develop a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school. They engage actively in a positive, inclusive environment that fosters their participation in learning.
• Leaders drive the improvement of student learning outcomes through strategic planning and targeted initiatives and fostering collaborative culture that supports teachers to adapt their practices and raise learner achievement.
• Leaders and teachers are rolling out structured literacy schoolwide to meet new curriculum requirements and will focus on implementing structured mathematics in 2025.
• Professional development enables ongoing improvement of teaching and learning.
• Teachers prioritise foundation skills to ensure the school meets the Government’s expectation of one hour each day of reading, writing, and mathematics.

Key priorities

• Refine learning progressions to align with the revised mathematics curriculum to ensure consistency and continuity of teaching and learning.
• Strengthen parent, whānau and community partnerships to support progress for all learners, particularly those at risk of not achieving.
• Monitor and improve regular attendance for all groups of learners.

Actions to bring about improvement

Every six months:

• the School Board and leaders monitor integration of the revised curriculum
• leaders analyse information relating to parent, whānau and community partnerships to identify their influence on learner outcomes and determine next steps
• leaders review attendance initiatives and communicate to parents and whānau about their impact on learner engagement

Annually:

• the Board and leaders review learner attendance, progress and achievement information and use this for planning
• the School Board and leaders review the impact of parent, whānau and community partnerships on student progress and achievement and attendance to sustain improvements.

Expected outcomes

• High quality teaching and learning embedded in literacy and mathematics.
• Strong parent, whānau and community partnerships positively impact student progress and achievement.
• Improved regular attendance for all groups of learners.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.

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 some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Provision for International Students

This section of the report is about the quality of the provision of education for international student enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were three international students attending the school.

The school provides effective education and pastoral support for international students. Student progress and achievement is closely monitored and regularly reported to parents. International students and their families have access to ongoing support through the director of the school’s international students’ programme. The school has clear systems in place for reviewing its ongoing compliance with the Code.

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 (Acting)

21 August 2025