Temuka Primary 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

Temuka Primary School is in South Canterbury and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The roll is 212. Just over 60% of students are Pākehā / New Zealand-European and 20% are Māori. The school’s vision is Soaring towards our future. Its values are Resilience, Acceptance, Caring, Excellence and Respect.

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 May 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvement

Priorities for the school were to review the school’s vision and values with the school’s community and use the school’s evaluation plan to investigate current literacy practices. The school also expected to build on planned whānau hui to build relationships and create a pathway forward for partnership to grow the school’s bicultural commitment.

Findings

The school’s vision and values have been reviewed in partnership with the school community. As a result, the vision statement and updated values have been integrated into school life and expectations. Literacy practices have been evaluated and coaching and resources have been provided to enable consistent school-wide delivery. Learner engagement has increased, providing a foundation for improved achievement outcomes over time.

Regular hui has strengthened whānau engagement. Initial consultation has taken place, and regular hui continue to be held. This work aligns with the goal of fostering relationships and growing the school's bicultural commitment.

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 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 has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is 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 is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately 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 meeting Government reading; writing and mathematics targets set 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

• Learners demonstrate a strong sense of belonging, are positive in their relationships with each other and highly engaged in their learning.
• Learners are well-supported through caring relationships with staff. Learning is effectively catered for through carefully considered programmes and resourcing.
• Leaders foster an effective school culture to encourage and develop cohesive, quality teaching and learning practices for the benefit of all learners.
• A structured approach in literacy is being extended across the school. Staff are developing this approach in mathematics.
• Curriculum opportunities are linked to community aspirations, providing a range of learning opportunities and support for learners.
• Staff have high expectations for learners and for equitable outcomes, assisted by effective collaboration across the school.
• A systematic approach for school improvement focuses on community consultation and the analysis of data to inform learner achievement.

Key priorities

• Refine and embed shared teaching and learning practices aligned with updated curriculum and assessment expectations.
• Use evidence from consultation, alongside sound evaluative practice, to improve programmes and interventions.
• Improve regular attendance and sustain the reduction of chronic absence.

Actions to bring about improvement:

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers develop consistent teaching and learning practice aligned with curriculum developments

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review and refine the strategies in place to increase regular attendance and ensure a sustained decrease in chronic absence

Annually:

• leaders and teachers review the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices and the implementation of updated curriculum and assessment
• the School Board and leaders work together to plan for and allocate resources to support learner wellbeing and achievement
• the School Board and leaders review attendance strategies and resource initiatives that will increase regular attendance.

Expected outcomes

• Shared and embedded teaching and learning practices across the school.
• Cohesive pathways for learners through the school, aligned with curriculum and assessment expectations.
• The effective allocation of resources to support the wellbeing and achievement of learners.
• Improved regular attendance of learners and chronic absence reduced.

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 (Acting)

4 September 2025