Vogeltown 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

Vogeltown School provides education for 362 students in Years 1 to 6. The large majority of students are NZ European/Pākehā, with 17% identifying as Māori and 7% Asian learners. A new principal has been appointed since the previous ERO review.

The school is guided by the vision, Maanaki Whenua – Maanaki Tangata – Haere Whakamua - Care for the land – Care for the People – Go Forward. The I.R.O.C.K learner values, being inclusive, respectful, original, courageous and kind, underpin the vision.

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 6

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 uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers are developing their use of 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 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 meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets 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 show a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school. They experience a positive and supportive environment aligned to the school’s vision and values.
• Learners access a broad range of curriculum opportunities, enriched by local knowledge and a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Teachers promote respectful learning environments that enable students to be meaningfully engaged in their learning.
• Teachers implement structured approaches to teaching reading, writing and mathematics focused on strengthening learners’ foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
• The principal, in collaboration with senior staff, leads an increasingly deliberate focus on achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Leaders use research and evidence to guide decision making.
• The school Board works with leaders to implement the school’s strategic plan and annual goals; resourcing is aligned to support learner focused improvement outcomes.
• Leaders, staff and the school Board work proactively with parents and whānau and effective partnerships support learners’ progress, achievement and wellbeing.

Key priorities

• Improve and sustain regular attendance.
• Embed teaching, learning and assessment practices aligned to new curriculum requirements.
• Increase the scrutiny of achievement information to plan for accelerated student progress.
• Use internal evaluation to measure the impact of initiatives on improving learner outcomes.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders observe in classrooms to evaluate the quality and consistency of teaching, learning and assessment practices
• teachers participate in ongoing professional learning to support the use of effective teaching and learning practices and assessment tools in English and mathematics

Every six months:

• leaders collate and report attendance information and progress made toward the Government’s regular attendance target
• leaders and teachers review the success of teaching and learning initiatives implemented to accelerate and extend outcomes for groups of learners, with a focus on writing for boys and Māori learners

Annually:

• leaders evaluate the quality and consistency of teaching and assessment practices in literacy and mathematics to guide future professional learning and improvement planning
• the principal and school Board review student attendance, progress and achievement outcomes and use this information to report to parents and inform annual goal setting and resourcing decisions.

Expected outcomes

• Regular attendance increases to meet or exceed the Government’s attendance target.
• Consistent high-quality teaching, learning and assessment practices aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum.
• Equitable and excellent achievement outcomes for all learners.
• Effective internal evaluation that supports ongoing school improvement.

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

Actions for Compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• have an up-to-date policy relating to planning and preparing for emergencies, disasters and crises
• hold at least one evacuation drill each term (including a fire drill at least once every six months)
  Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018.

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

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

20 October 2025