Welbourn 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

Welbourn School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school’s roll is 319. The majority of learners identify as Pākehā / New Zealand European, and 15 % identify as Māori.

The school’s vision is for all learners to be life-long learners in an effective learning environment, which will prepare them to adapt and thrive in a changing world. Learners are encouraged to make good choices, be fair, care and share through the core values of: Manaakitanga - Respect, Manawaroa - Resilience, Kotahitanga – Collaboration / Partnership, and Kaitiakitanga – Guardianship / Caring.

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. 

• 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 not yet 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.
• Assessment information is used well 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 significantly 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

• Learners benefit from a child-centred approach to teaching and learning that develops strong foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics and creates an emotionally safe and inclusive environment.
• Learners understand the school values and are encouraged to embrace and celebrate their culture and identity, creating a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school.
• Senior leadership provides clear expectations and a vision for high quality teaching and learning, supported by a well-considered coaching model used across the school.
• Literacy and mathematics remain a fundamental basis for teaching and learning. Structured literacy is well established in the junior school with plans to extend structured literacy throughout the school during 2025.
• The school’s integrated curriculum provides learners with rich opportunities within and beyond the school environment.
• Staff professional development is targeted, collaborative and purposefully implemented for ongoing improvement. Teachers are encouraged to be reflective, responsive and adaptive in their practice.

Key priorities 

• Improve and sustain positive achievement outcomes in reading and mathematics.
• Improve writing outcomes for boys.
• Develop the use of the reo Māori and tikanga Māori throughout all aspects of the school.
• Align teaching practices to the revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).
• Increase the regular attendance of all learners.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• school leaders provide professional development for teachers to support them to strengthen and align practice to the revised NZC requirements

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers monitor attendance improvement initiatives and adjust strategies as needed

Annually:

• leaders and the Board consult with key stakeholders to evaluate how well the school’s strategic goals are being met
• leaders and the Board evaluate progress towards embedding te reo Māori and tikanga Māori within teaching and learning programmes
• leaders and the Board evaluate how well the attendance plan is working, including the effect of initiatives for improving regular attendance and plan next steps. 

Expected outcomes

• Sustained high levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Strengthened schoolwide use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.
• Increased attendance aligned with the Government target of 80%.

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 meeting 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 (Acting)

29 August 2025