Carlton 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 

Carlton School has 270 students in Years 1 to 6 of which, 52% are New Zealand/European, 34% Māori and 14% from other ethnicities. The shared vision for learners — Hāpaitia te ara tika hei pūmau ai te rangatiratanga mō ngā uri whakatipu, fosters the pathway of knowledge to strength, independence and growth for future generations — is embodied through the collective school values of Te Pono/Honesty, Te Matatika/Integrity, Te Whakaute/Respect, Tu Te Mana, Te Mauri/ Belonging and Te Kotahitanga/ Community.

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

Improvement and progress

This section is about the progress the school has made since the September 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

ERO and the school evaluated how well leaders achieve the school’s improvement priorities to strengthen achievement outcomes and ensure equity and excellence for all learners. 

Expected Improvements 

The school expected to see the implementation of a cohesive strategic plan to support it to achieve its key priorities and improve student engagement and achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics, promoting equity and excellence for all learners. 

Staff focused on improving the use of assessment information to inform effective teaching and learning and fostering consistently skilled and capable teaching practice that meets the diverse needs of learners.

Findings 

Leaders and the School Board revised their strategic plan with parents and whānau and established relevant goals aligned to improving learner outcomes and promoting inclusive partnerships. Reported achievement shows some improvement in reading, writing and mathematics since 2022. 

Implementing Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) improved the consistency of staff using strategies that encourage positive learner engagement at school. Teaching practices are increasingly adapted to learner needs by providing regular access to professional learning and development (PLD) in literacy and mathematics.

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 small majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is developing a suitable plan 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 is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately 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 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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 requiring additional support are appropriately identified, monitored, and provided with targeted interventions in literacy and mathematics, alongside initiatives that promote their positive engagement at school.
• The school fosters inclusive partnerships through responsive practices that reflect their shared values, strengthened by the support and care of whānau maanaki.
• Leadership collaboratively pursues strategic goals aligned with the aspirations of the community to achieve positive outcomes for learners.
• A structured approach to literacy is well established in the junior classes. The school is well placed to embed structured literacy and mathematics schoolwide to strengthen outcomes for all learners.
• Teachers are provided relevant professional learning and development in literacy, mathematics, and assessment, enabling a consistent approach that addresses learners’ needs.
• Staff foster reciprocal relationships with other educational networks and external specialists to support transitions and share practices that meet the needs of learners, parents, and whānau.
• The School Board works collaboratively with school leaders, responding to resourcing requests to meet the needs of learners.

Key priorities

• Improve regular attendance in line with government targets.
• Strengthen staff knowledge of curriculum and assessment changes to enhance teaching, learning, and reporting.
• Extend structured literacy into the senior school.
• Embed the schoolwide approach to mathematics to improve learner outcomes.
• Gather feedback from learners, parents, and whānau to inform evaluation of learner wellbeing and the impact of curriculum changes, providing evidence of progress aligned with the school’s strategic goals.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders establish an observation framework, so teachers get regular and helpful feedback that supports good teaching and meets the different needs of students
• the School Board and leaders review attendance information and the impact of their actions in relation to achieving the Government’s attendance target
• the School Board and leaders gather student wellbeing data to guide decision making about learner wellbeing and identify areas for further improvement

Annually:

• leaders use classroom observations to find out what is working well and identify where improvements are needed to build more practice consistent across the school
• the School Board and leaders review the impact of their actions on learner outcomes to inform future priorities to achieve the Government targets for achievement and attendance
• leaders gather and analyse student wellbeing information to determine practices that effectively support learner engagement at school and priorities to promote ongoing improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Increased and sustained attendance.
• Effective teaching in literacy and mathematics and equitable outcomes for all learners.
• Teachers receive feedback that helps them teach more consistently and effectively, meeting the needs of all students.
• Learners express a strong sense of wellbeing at school and build positive relationships that reflect the valued outcomes of the school and community.

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 some 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

13 October 2025