Kaitieke 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 

Kaitieke School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is eight students. The school's vision is for every student to graduate, ready for the world. This vision is supported by the school values of He Hononga Taiao / Environmental Connectedness, He Mana Whakaute / Respect, He Mana, Aumangea / Resilience, and Poutama / Achievement.

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 August 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school evaluated how effectively students’ rates of progress are increased through the effective delivery of an authentic localised curriculum and strengthened partnerships. Leaders expected to see increased teacher data literacy and evaluation capability that informs planning and teaching to strengthen learner progress and outcomes and enhanced partnerships for learning. Prioritising students’ learning-to-learn capabilities would increase ownership and empowerment of learning.

Rates of progress would be a key indicator to report improvement in student learning.

Findings 

The school has strengthened learning to learn capabilities by integrating key competencies into individual goals, planning and reporting, resulting in greater student independence. Progress is closely tracked, with all students making expected gains through personalised pathways. Assessment practices have been updated, supported by external expertise to build data literacy. The school has deepened its connection to te ao Māori and local iwi. 

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 1 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.

•  Almost all students attend school regularly.
• The school is exceeding the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.

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 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 meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics 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

• Effective resourcing and strong collaboration within the staff and school community enable responsive teaching that meets the needs of students in the multi-level classroom.
• High levels of overall student achievement in reading, writing and mathematics are sustained over time.
• Learners are well known by their teachers. Tracking and monitoring of achievement and wellbeing is systematic, evidence-based and used to inform teaching.
• Leadership is reflective and uses both school-wide and individual learner data to inform future planning.
• Students benefit from rich experiences to learn across the curriculum; strong links to the local environment provide meaningful learning opportunities for all learners.
• The principal and teachers engage in ongoing inquiry into learners’ progress and adjust teaching practices to ensure learners’ needs are effectively met.

Key priorities

• Strengthen the school’s evaluation framework, to drive continuous school wide improvement and sustain high levels of student achievement in literacy and mathematics.
• Align the school curriculum with updates to The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements.
• Build the Kaiteike School Board governance and stewardship capacity through targeted training and use of structured self-review systems.
• Sustain the high levels of regular attendance for all students.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• the school Board and leaders fully implement the school’s attendance plan for raising regular attendance

Within six months:

• leaders work with the school Board, to identify specific data and information needed, to support it in evaluating strategic goals and planning for equitable outcomes for all learners
• leaders and teachers engage in professional learning in structured literacy and approaches to mathematics
• leaders and teachers review teaching and learning approaches in literacy and mathematics for alignment with The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment developments to identify further staff professional learning priorities

Every six months:

• review and modify the evaluation process to focus on the impact of school initiatives to improve progress and achievement outcomes
• leaders and teachers evaluate the success of strategies to accelerate the progress of learners in reading, writing and mathematics to inform future actions
• the school Board and leaders review the attendance plan and identify further action

Annually:

• analyse the evaluative process to identify its effectiveness, to inform strategic decisions and identify areas for improvement
• leaders evaluate the quality of teaching and the use of best practice approaches aligned to curriculum and assessment developments, identifying areas for future development
• analyse attendance data looking for trends and patterns; report on the effectiveness of the attendance strategies to the school community and adjust the attendance plan as needed.

Expected outcomes

• Internal evaluative practices effectively assess the impact of actions and inform deliberate decision making for improved, equitable learner outcomes.
• Sustained high quality teaching practices in literacy and mathematics aligned to curriculum and assessment expectations.
• The Kaitieke School Board has an enhanced capability in setting strategic direction and self-review.
• Sustained high levels of regular attendance that meet or exceed the Government’s target for regular attendance.

 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 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

24 April 2026