Eltham 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 

Eltham School is in a small rural town in South Taranaki and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school’s roll is currently 133 with 43% of the students identifying as Māori, 39% as NZ European/Pakeha; 10% as Asian; and 6% of Pacific heritage. 

The school’s vision is to create lifelong learners and provide high quality teaching in a cooperative learning environment supported by the school values; whanaungatanga, ako, manaakitanga, honesty, respect and empathy. 

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 good 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 reasonably 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 64%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

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

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

A large 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.
• Teachers are developing 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau 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

• Leaders and staff have high expectations for all learners to succeed. Learner achievement in reading, writing and mathematics continues to show improvement, Māori learners perform well across all areas.
• Learners are confident in their classrooms and active in their learning. Leaders and teachers are responsive to each child’s well-being needs.
• Staff foster inclusive and respectful relationships with all learners and their families; this promotes a positive learning environment that enables meaningful learning across the curriculum.
• Professional development is supporting teachers to embed a schoolwide structured literacy approach. Leaders are accessing resources and professional training to support teachers to implement the new mathematics curriculum.
• School leaders and the board have successfully consulted with the community to develop clear goals to support strategic planning and guide improvement. 

Key priorities

• Strengthen teachers’ knowledge of strategies to differentiate learning activities.
• Embed the new literacy and mathematics requirements.
• Improve outcomes for all learners.
• Improve regular attendance for all learners.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers review the implementation of structured literacy and mathematics programmes and identify priorities for professional development
• leaders and teachers review current attendance processes and develop a robust plan to improve regular attendance for all learners

Every six months:

• leaders analyse and report to the School Board on the progress and achievement of all learners in literacy and mathematics to inform further professional development and resourcing, as required
• teachers and leaders evaluate the effectiveness of learning support programmes to ensure that these are improving learner outcomes and adjust if necessary
• leaders and teachers monitor and refine attendance strategies and planning and work with parents and whānau to improve regular attendance rates

Annually:

• the School Board and leaders evaluate the progress and achievement of all learners in reading, writing and mathematics and report to the school community and identify improvement goals
• leaders and staff review teaching and learning programmes; identifying the programmes that had the most success and use this information to inform future school planning
• leaders and the School Board review the impact of the planned strategies on raising regular attendance for all learners and plan next steps. 

Expected outcomes 

• School wide learning programmes effectively meet the needs of all learners.
• Improved outcomes for all learners; including learners who require additional support, in literacy and mathematics.
• Improved rates of regular attendance.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meet 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 some 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

17 October 2025