Urenui School

Taranaki

Urenui School ERO Report

Education Review Office reviews for Urenui School in Taranaki, New Zealand.

Review 10 March 2025

Latest

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.

About the School 

Urenui School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The total roll in 2024 was 103. The majority of learners are European / Pākehā. Māori learners comprise approximately 31% of the roll. The school vision Mā te mahi tahi, ka ora – Together We Can is underpinned by the values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. 

Part A – Parent Summary

How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?

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 a 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 table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Foundation Skills

 
Reading

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more 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

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

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.

The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.

Regular attendance is improving towards the target.

Chronic absence is reducing over time. 

Assessment

The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately 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

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 Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and is likely to meet them by 2030.

An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Guide to ERO school reports

Part B - Findings for the school

This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.

Areas of Strength

Learner progress and achievement outcomes are increasingly equitable and excellent.

Learners express a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school that supports their wellbeing and engagement in learning.

Leaders continue to prioritise the improvement of student learning and achievement through strategic planning and decision making; selected initiatives promote positive outcomes for learners. 

Structured literacy and mathematics are becoming well embedded in teaching and learning programmes; a consistent focus on supporting all learners to gain sound foundation skills in literacy and numeracy is evident.

Learners experience a range of meaningful learning opportunities linked to local contexts; leaders and teachers continue to strengthen the integration of curriculum initiatives and programmes that draw on te ao Māori.

Staff professional learning is targeted, planned and strategically implemented for ongoing development of leadership, teaching and learner outcomes. 

Teachers work collaboratively and regularly use achievement information and evidence to inform teaching and learning, monitoring the impact of their actions.

Key priorities and actions for improvement 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

  • implement an attendance plan to increase regular attendance of all students
  • continue to strengthen effective teaching, learning and assessment practices to sustain improved achievement outcomes for all learners, with a focus on achieving equity for boys in reading and writing
  • continue embedding te ao Māori throughout school and class programmes
  • use a systematic evidence-based approach to evaluate teaching, learning and assessment practices and monitor their impact on learner progress and achievement outcomes.

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

Within three months:

  • develop an attendance plan, including initiatives to increase regular attendance.

Every six months:

  • evaluate the impact of initiatives designed to improve students’ regular attendance and identify further actions
  • continue to provide professional learning opportunities that strengthen leaders and teachers’ understanding and use of effective teaching, learning, assessment and evaluation practices
  • review the progress made with embedding te ao Māori within localised contexts to inform future curriculum design.

Annually:

  • review and report to the board on learner attendance, progress and achievement information to support ongoing decision making for improvement
  • evaluate the impact of teaching, learning and assessment practices on learners’ progress and achievement and use this information for further strategic planning.

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

  • more students attending school regularly, meeting the Government's target of 80% regular attendance
  • improved and equitable student achievement outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics
  • learners, teachers, leaders and staff confident in their understanding and use of te ao Māori within the curriculum
  • effective use of evaluation for improvement that supports high quality teaching and learning practices schoolwide.

Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

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

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 Evaluation 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
Acting Director of Schools

10 March 2025

Education Counts

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

Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →

ERO report information is sourced from the Education Review Office.