Wairoa College

School Evaluation 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.

Context 

Wairoa College situated in the town of Wairoa in the Hawkes Bay, is a coeducational school providing education for students in Years 7 to 13 and 85% of students are Māori. The school operates a Year 7 and 8 combined bilingual class. Kotahitanga, manaakitanga, whakamana and aumanga are the school’s values. The Ministry of Education appointed a Limited Statutory Manager in December 2024, to support teaching and learning and the board’s function to effect changes for improved learner outcomes. 

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation. 

Part B: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Expected Improvements and Findings.

Since the previous ERO report of November 2022, the school’s focus has been on raising student achievement, particularly literacy and numeracy outcomes.

The school expected to see:

Students engaged in their learning, with improved attendance, developing skills as independent learners.

• Classroom observations undertaken by ERO showed positive learning environments where students engage and are on task. In Years 7 and 8, well planned lessons focused on literacy and numeracy. Respectful relationships between teacher and students are evident. Learners are developing skills as independent learners.
• Data indicates a general improvement in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 7 to 9; such improvement is not evident in Year 10. Strengthening literacy and numeracy teaching and learning across the school is a strategic goal for 2025.
• Attendance has not improved over time and regular attendance is not improving towards the Government target.

Assessment for learning practices driving curriculum change, shifts in practice and accelerated learning outcomes.

• Some acceleration of learning is evident for Years 7 to 8 in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Some changes to the curriculum have been made in response to the new NCEA Level 1 requirements; the junior school curriculum implemented in 2025 has been redesigned with a focus on reading, writing and mathematics.
• Little progress is evident in shifts in teaching practice (assessment for learning and cultural responsiveness) and impact on learners. Recently the school has contracted for teacher development in culturally responsive practices and assessment for learning. A recently appointed member of the senior leadership team has specific responsibilities for cultural responsiveness and associated activities.

Strengthening relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi that support ākonga outcomes.

• A Mana Tangata group, consisting of staff, established to further support Māori learners to achieve success as Māori has not been sustained.
• Leaders have improved communication to parents and whānau through newsletters, parent meetings and more visibility in the community. A survey of parents and whānau in 2024, asked for feedback focusing on communication and cultural responsiveness. Feedback highlighted these as areas for the school to address. The school understands that upskilling in culturally responsive teaching practices requires more focused work.
• The school has made a conscious effort to engage with local whānau, community and iwi through:
  • establishing in 2025, a combined Years 7 and 8 bilingual unit, focusing on te reo Māori
  • a Whānau Connect hui in Term 1,2025 where goals, attendance and what parents want for their children were discussed
  • offering information evenings about National Certificate of Educational Achievement
    (NCEA) and Common Assessment Activities (literacy and numeracy).

Other findings

• Evaluation to know the outcomes for learners as the result of the improvement actions needs to be more specifically planned for and carried out. 

Part B: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• A large majority of students gain NCEA in Level 2, with less than half gaining Level 3 and few gaining Level 1 and University Entrance; gains in the literacy and numeracy requirements for Level 1 NCEA significantly decreased in 2024.
• A large majority of students in Year 7 and 8 achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics with less than half in writing.
• A small majority of Year 9 students are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics; less than a third achieve at the expected level in writing.
• A small majority of Year 10 students are achieving at or above the expected curriculum levels for reading, with less than half achieving in mathematics and less than a third in writing.
• The school is well below the Ministry of Education target for attendance, with less than half of students attending regularly.

Conditions to support learner success

• Strategic and annual planning are in place to provide some direction and priorities for the school; this planning needs to be more data driven, specific and targeted to improve learners’ progress and achievement and attendance. Measures of success require more detail to drive necessary changes and improvements, beyond task list completion.
• As part of a strategy to improve engagement, progress and achievement, a Years 7 and 8 bilingual class was recently established with focus on learning through te reo Māori and te ao Māori.  A structured approach to evaluating the impact on learners’ attendance, engagement, progress and achievement is a key next step.
• Leadership has recently taken deliberate steps to improve attendance and achievement at senior level; these include an attendance plan and mentoring students individually through tracking and monitoring their NCEA credits gained and attendance.

• Positive relationships between students and teachers are apparent; purposeful teaching and engaged students were evident in classes observed by ERO.
• Students have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of The New Zealand Curriculum, with some focus on foundation skills in literacy and numeracy; the focus on literacy and numeracy needs to be further developed across the school.

• The school has purposely developed relationships with other educational and community-based providers to enhance opportunities for students to gain work experience, qualifications within and beyond school and have leadership opportunities.
• Leaders have recently reviewed and refined behavioural procedures that outline clear expectations for classroom and school wide student conduct and behaviour, based on the principles of Positive Behaviour for Learning and the school’s values.
• A recognised next step for the school is to develop teaching capability for high quality literacy and numeracy learning and preparing students well for Level 1 NCEA requirements in these areas.
• The role of the board in setting strategic directions and maintaining its governance role is unclear; evaluation for improvement and use of data and other information to inform decisions to improve conditions for successful learner outcomes, is a key next step for clear school direction.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• implement the attendance plan based on the Ministry of Education Stepped Attendance Response Plan to raise student attendance; this implementation needs to be regularly monitored for consistency of action and to gauge effectiveness
• develop a literacy and numeracy programme school wide and across the curriculum to improve progress and achievement of all students
• develop teaching capability and strategies to raise the achievement of Year 9 and 10 students in literacy and mathematics, to better prepare learners for NCEA Level 1 literacy and numeracy assessments
• develop consistent, culturally responsive teaching practices across the school to improve learner engagement and outcomes
• ensure the board has sufficient knowledge of its roles and responsibilities to offer effective stewardship of the school; this includes setting clear strategic direction and having the capacity to evaluate effectiveness in realising the school’s goals for improved student attendance, progress, achievement and wellbeing. 

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within three months:

• senior leaders ensure the school’s attendance strategies are known and understood by the school community, well underway and monitored
• develop an action plan with clear measurable outcomes for the implementation of a school wide literacy and numeracy programme
• senior leaders and the principal lead professional learning, focusing on culturally responsive practices, assessment for learning and identified areas of development for high quality teaching
• the principal reports engagement data to the board that includes analysed stand down, suspension and exclusion information
• the board works on strategic and annual planning and ensures that key priorities and expected outcomes are learner focused, actions time bound and specific, and outcomes measurable; the board seeks support to have useful planning that focuses on learner outcome priorities

Within six months

• strategies for improving attendance are well underway, monitored and adjusted as needed
• actions to improve literacy and numeracy teaching and learning are well underway, monitored and adjusted as needed
• staff give feedback on the effectiveness of professional learning; this includes changes to their practice and impact on learners
• board understands and has documented its roles and responsibilities for effective governance
• revised strategic, annual planning and teaching development needs are well aligned and actioned

Every six months:

• monitor and report to the board on the impact of strategies and initiatives to raise attendance and continue to adjust and resource these as needed
• report analysed junior school literacy and numeracy data to the board, for trustees to scrutinise and make evidence-based resourcing decisions
• progress against strategic and annual goals is reported by the board to its community, in relation to measures of success focused on improved learner outcomes

Annually:

• the principal reports to the board understandable, analysed student attendance, engagement, progress and achievement information, that trustees scrutinise to inform ongoing school improvement
• staff evaluate the impact of school wide literacy and numeracy programmes on student achievement, identifying adjustments needed and ongoing teacher development needs
• school leaders assess and report the impact of culturally responsive teaching practices on student engagement and achievement to inform decision making
• the board uses data and other information to adjust or set strategic and annual goals that have clear, measurable learner focused outcomes; the board undertakes review of its governance effectiveness. 

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

• improved attendance, progress and achievement for all year levels
• raised achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 9 and 10; all teachers consistently using identified, proven literacy and numeracy strategies
• improved achievement in literacy and numeracy, leading to better outcomes in NCEA achievement
• culturally responsive teaching practices that contribute to improved student engagement and achievement
• a well-functioning board that is familiar with, and carrying out, its governance functions focused on accountabilities for learner outcomes. 

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education 

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education/Ministry of Education consider intervention for the dissolution of board and appointment of commissioner as listed in section 181, Education and Training Act 2020, to bring about the following improvements: 

• effective governance and leadership for change (a sustained trajectory of improvement)
• high quality teaching and learning, particularly in literacy and numeracy
• clearly set, well aligned school direction that is actioned to realise improved learner outcomes. 

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within three 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)

5 June 2025

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home