St Pius X School (New Plymouth)

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 

St Pius X School is a state integrated school of special Catholic character in New Plymouth. It caters for students in Years 1 to 6. 75% of students identify as Pākehā | New Zealand European and 19% identify as Māori.  The school’s vision is to grow all ākonga to have the qualities of the St Pius X learner which are Faith-Filled, Culturally Aware, Collaborators, Risk Takers, Creative Thinkers and Self Managers.

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.

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.

• Most 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.

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 meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau 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

• Students understand the school ’Learner Qualities’ and confidently express a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school.
• Teachers are increasingly incorporating local contexts into their teaching and learning programmes in ways that learners can see themselves, their identity and culture.
• A collaborative and cohesive staff culture supports inclusive programmes and practices that effectively promote student learning and well-being.
• Teachers know their students well and effectively use achievement information to target teaching for all students.
• A deliberate, well-informed approach to developing teacher capability is targeted appropriately and affirmed by staff.

Key priorities 

• Fully implement the revised English and mathematics curriculum.
• Set clear expectations for teaching and learning.
• Strengthen opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning, including setting relevant learning goals across all year levels.
• Refine assessment systems and processes to align to the revised curriculum.
• Strengthen the evaluative capability of leaders and teachers.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers refine classroom practices and processes, including assessment practices, to reflect the revised English and Mathematics curriculum
• school leaders undertake professional learning to strengthen their evaluative capability and enhance schoolwide decision making

Every six months:

• leaders observe teacher practice and provide feedback against revised curriculum expectations
• leaders and teachers provide opportunities for students reflect on their learning and set relevant goals
• leaders and teachers continue to analyse attendance, progress and achievement information to inform next steps and to respond with targeted interventions for identified groups of learners

Annually:

• leaders and teachers collect student voice to inform schoolwide decision making
• leaders utilise effective internal evaluation processes to review strategic and annual planning
• In partnership with communities, whānau, students and teachers, the Board uses reported information and analysis of attendance, achievement and wellbeing outcomes to inform decision making. 

Expected outcomes

• The revised English and mathematics curriculum and assessment requirements are consistently implemented across the school.
• Students know and can articulate their levels of achievement and have more ownership of their learning choices.
• Strengthened evaluative capability of leaders and teachers informs schoolwide improvement.
• Sustained, equitable, and excellent student achievement.
• Improved levels of attendance that meet or exceed the government’s 80% target for 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

19 September 2025