Woodleigh School

Taranaki

Woodleigh School ERO Report

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

Review 23 September 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.

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

Woodleigh School provides education for students from Years 1 to 6. The school is located in Frankleigh Park in New Plymouth. The school roll of 420 learners of whom 83% identify as Pākehā/New Zealand European, 22% as Māori and 12% as Asian.

The school’s vision is ‘Learning, Achieving, Caring – The Woodleigh Way’, supported through their values of Ringa Manaaki, Ringa Takohanga, Ringa Māia, Ringa Auaha, and Ringa Whānau.

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.

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 rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is a consistent focus on supporting learners to gain foundational 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 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.

Less than a third 

Less than half 

Small majority 

Large majority 

Most 

Almost all 

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 65%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

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

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. 

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 not yet 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 is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately 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 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets and is likely to meet them by 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 experience a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school supported by strong, positive relationships and opportunities for leadership. Staff know learners well and respond effectively to the increasingly diverse needs of learners.
  • School leaders provide cohesive, effective systems and processes that encourage collective responsibility and collaboration and are well aligned to the school’s strategic priorities. High expectations and relational trust are evident school wide.
  • Learners engage in a broad and rich learning experiences across the curriculum that reflect and connect to their interests, cultures and the local environment.
  • Structured approaches to literacy are embedded school wide and targeted professional learning is supporting teachers to understand and implement the new mathematics curriculum.
  • Carefully considered professional learning is well aligned to school priorities and teachers regularly reflect on their practice to improve outcomes for learners.

Key priorities

  • Accelerate progress and achievement and reduce disparity for identified groups of learners in literacy.
  • Review and align the school’s current teaching, learning, assessment and reporting practices with the new literacy and mathematics curriculum requirements.
  • Formalise evaluation processes and practices to measure the impact on learner outcomes and support strategic decision making.
  • Improve the regular attendance of all learners.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

  • leaders develop an assessment and reporting plan that reflects assessment guidelines
  • leaders develop a school wide evaluation process to support improvement
  • leaders and teachers refine student achievement targets and targeted interventions that support the progress of learners in literacy

Every six months:

  • leaders and teachers review the alignment of teaching and learning approaches in literacy and mathematics with curriculum developments to identify further staff professional learning priorities
  • leaders review targeted interventions and support to accelerate the progress of learners in literacy
  • leaders and teachers monitor, review and respond to learner attendance data

Annually:

  • the School Board and leaders review the impact of targeted interventions to accelerate learning, and of curriculum and assessment implementation and use this to inform decision making
  • the School Board and leaders review the impact of attendance strategies, including learner and whānau feedback and plan next steps.

Expected outcomes

  • High quality teaching, learning and assessment approaches aligned with the curriculum embedded school wide.
  • Increasingly excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners.
  • Improved regular attendance of all learners.

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

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within 4 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

23 September 2025

Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →

ERO report information is sourced from the Education Review Office.