Review 12 May 2025
LatestSchool 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
Waitara East School is located in Waitara township and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school’s roll in 2024 was 224. The ethnic composition is Māori 76%, New Zealand/European 28% and Pacific 2%. Learners are encouraged to know and use the school’s ‘MANA’ values of manaakitanga (respecting others), angitu (doing my best), ngakaunui (caring for the environment), and aroha (caring for others).
The school has a reo rua unit comprising three classrooms that offer level 2 te reo Māori immersion teaching.
Part A: Parent Summary
How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?
| How well are learners succeeding? | The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners. |
| 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.
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| How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs? | Learners have rich 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 is taking steps to improve 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 Safety | The 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 | A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
Mathematics
| A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
Attendance
The school is significantly behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.
Assessment
The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Assessment information is used well 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 meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
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
Leaders and teachers know their learners well and are responsive to the needs of groups and individuals; the achievement and progress of all learners is closely tracked and monitored. Learners requiring additional support are identified promptly and receive targeted teaching focused on literacy and numeracy.
Learners’ inclusion and wellbeing is effectively supported by embedded teaching practices that promote belonging and wellbeing.
Cohesive, focused leadership increasingly strengthens school conditions to support learner success and wellbeing. Strategic planning is well informed by research and achievement information to improve learner outcomes.
Structured literacy practices are embedded; the school is well placed for future curriculum adjustments in mathematics.
The school curriculum is well designed, appropriately structured to support learning and makes good use of technology and local contexts. Learners experience a broad range of rich, meaningful learning opportunities; this promotes progress and achievement across the curriculum.
Staff capability is intentionally developed through a professional learning programme that clearly aligns with strategic goals for learner achievement.
Effective processes are in place that ensure all staff participate in regular, ongoing evaluation and review of their professional progress and effectiveness in meeting the needs of learners.
Key priorities and actions for improvement
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
- strengthen and embed effective teaching practices across the school to improve outcomes for learners
- improve outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics and address identified disparities in progress and achievement
- ensure alignment of the schools’ mathematics programme with changes to The New Zealand Curriculum
- implement and monitor the effectiveness of new initiatives to increase learner attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Every six months:
- carefully examine learner progress towards targets in reading, writing and mathematics adjusting programmes and resources to further accelerate progress
- use the embedded professional growth cycle process to provide feedback to teachers on how well they are improving learner achievement
- closely monitor the effectiveness of initiatives to improve the attendance of learners who do not attend regularly and adjust where needed
Annually:
- review end of year data and use it to determine the next steps that will improve learners’ progress towards achievement targets
- evaluate how well teaching practice in the school is improving learner progress and achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics
- report on progress made in implementing changes in the English and mathematics curriculum and identify any next steps for teacher capability building to promote learner engagement, progress and achievement
- report to the board on progress towards achieving the Government’s attendance targets.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
- increased achievement outcomes for all learners in reading, writing, and mathematics
- sustained, high-quality teaching that has a focus on improving and sustaining outcomes for all learners
- English and mathematics curriculum changes that are well embedded in school teaching programmes and impact positively on learner outcomes
- improved attendance, especially for those learners who do not attend regularly at present.
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 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)
12 May 2025
Education Counts
This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home