Rodney College

School Evaluation 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.

Context 

Rodney College is located in Wellsford, Auckland and provides education for students in Years 9 to 13. The board appointed a new principal at the beginning of 2025. The college’s vision is Educating learners for a better tomorrow | Poipoia ngā mokopuna. Ngā rangatira mō āpōpō. Ka tīhei! Tīhei mauriora. This vision is underpinned by the four values of Manaakitanga, Ako, Hauora and Whanaungatanga.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Current State 

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• A large majority of students achieve the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1 and 3, with most students achieving NCEA Level 2; a small majority achieve University Entrance.
• A large majority of students in Years 9 and 10 achieve at or above the expected curriculum levels for literacy; most achieve this in mathematics.
• Less than half of students attend school regularly; the school is yet to meet the Government’s target for regular attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

• Collaborative leadership across the school supports the implementation of the values system and provides a cohesive approach to improving student wellbeing.
• Leaders appropriately use the individual expertise and skills of staff to further strengthen consistency of teaching and learning.
• Leadership establishes collaborative networks and responsive support programmes, leading to increased opportunities for learner success, particularly for students at risk of underachieving.

• Positive relationships between teachers and students help promote a calm and inclusive learning environment.
• Teachers appropriately identify students requiring additional support and implement interventions that address their needs and minimise barriers to learning.
• Teachers are taking steps to integrate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into class programmes, giving greater effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and increasing student understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Leaders and teachers are developing educational partnerships with a range of external agencies that increasingly support the quality of teaching practice.
• Leaders and teachers work in collaboration with parents and whānau to support learners with complex needs.
• Leadership and the board are yet to actively engage with whānau, hapū and iwi about the aspirations for their children; the school recognises this as a next step to enhance learning partnerships. 

Part B: Where to next? 

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• develop and implement a plan to increase rates of regular student attendance
• strengthen consistency of teaching practice through professional learning opportunities focused on responsive and relational teaching approaches that increase student achievement
• provide regular opportunities for students, whānau, hapū and iwi to share their aspirations, increasing students’ sense of belonging and informing ongoing strategic planning
• track and support student pathways so that every student has clear and meaningful next steps through their secondary schooling.

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

Within six months:

• develop and implement an attendance plan and continue to monitor and communicate expectations to students and whānau
• gather student, whānau, hapū and iwi voice to identify learner outcomes and aspirations and guide next steps 

Every six months:

• review and evaluate the impact of the plan for improving regular attendance
• provide professional learning opportunities for all staff to embed responsive and relational teaching and learning approaches
• analyse and respond to information gathered from students, whānau, hapū and iwi to enhance learning partnerships

Annually:

• review and report to the board on student attendance, progress and achievement information to inform strategic decision making and planning
• evaluate the impact of teaching and learning approaches on students’ engagement, progress and achievement and use this to support next steps
• evaluate the way in which the school tracks and supports student pathways to identify future actions.

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

• improved rates of regular attendance for all learners
• consistent high quality teaching and learning approaches that respond to learners’ culture, language and identity and increase student achievement
• enhanced learning partnerships between school staff, students, whānau hapū and iwi that support ongoing student success, particularly for Māori learners
• students who have a clear understanding of their pathway through school that enables them to achieve personal success.

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
Director of Schools (Acting)

9 May 2025

About the School

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