Otaki 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.

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

Ōtaki College is a co-educational secondary school providing education for students from Years 7 to 13. The school roll of 433 students includes 63% Pākehā /New Zealand European students, 52% of students identify as Māori and 7% who are of Pacific heritage.

The school’s educational vision is to inspire ākonga to take every opportunity to succeed; Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka Mārama.

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 January 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Since the previous ERO report the school has focused on evaluating how deep learning and teaching strategies and increased opportunities for learners can make a difference to learner outcomes.

Expected improvements

The school expected to see educationally powerful partnerships supporting learning that is authentic, meaningful, localised and in collaboration with students and whānau. Additionally, they focused on developing a shared language for design and evaluation of learning involving the interrogation of evidence, planning and observation tools. Staff evaluated aspects of the curriculum for alignment with the use of digital technologies for learning. 

Findings

The school established strong partnerships that enable meaningful, community-focused learning. Continued efforts to deepen whānau involvement should strengthen engagement and promote positive momentum.

The school made progress toward a shared language for learning design and evaluation. Documented school-wide planning templates have improved consistency in expectations. Full alignment and systematic use of data remain priorities for further development.

Digital technologies are embedded across the curriculum to increase engagement, accelerate learning, and connect learners more effectively. Ongoing monitoring should ensure these strategies improve learner outcomes.

What we know about learner success

This section provides a summary of learner success, wellbeing and foundation school conditions, including any education in Rumaki/Reo Rua settings. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Learner success and wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• The school is developing a clear understanding about student progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics in Years 7 to 10.
• In 2024, less than half of students achieved National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1, a small majority achieved Level 2, and less than half achieved Level 3.
• School leaver data shows that a large majority of students leave school with NCEA Level 2. The school is yet to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori learners across all levels and qualifications.
• Senior students can access Secondary–Tertiary Programmes that provide personalised pathways into trades, apprenticeships, and vocational qualifications.
• Less than half of students attending regularly. The school is developing a plan and regular attendance is improving.

Conditions to support learner success

This section provides a summary of leadership, teaching, curriculum and foundation school conditions for improvement.

• Leaders establish clear and consistent values and relational practices that are known and embedded schoolwide.
• Leaders have established trust and collaboration at every level of the school community.
• School systems and processes promote student wellbeing and inclusion, and students feel known and cared about.

• Teachers create respectful classroom environments that build supportive learning relationships across the school.
• Flexible curriculum structures provide increasing student choice and greater responsiveness to student interests.
• Leaders and teachers are initiating steps to improve the coherence of teaching and learning programmes through engagement in ongoing professional development to increase student engagement and success.

• School leaders and staff establish positive and purposeful partnerships with the community that contribute to student engagement and wellbeing.
• The school actively promotes Māori culture, identity, and language through curriculum design and schoolwide practices.
• Student feedback is regularly sought and used to inform decisions about teaching and learning.

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 identifies key priorities and actions for improvement.

Key priorities

• increase rates of progress, lift achievement and increase equity for Māori and other priority learners
• develop and implement a systematic process for collecting, analysing, and using Year 7 to10 achievement data to identify target groups and inform responsive initiatives to accelerate progress and improve equity
• strengthen data literacy and evaluative capability schoolwide to track progress, monitor impact, and inform improvement planning
• improve and sustain regular student attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders agree on the data collection framework for years 7 to 10, including what data to collect, frequency, and responsibilities and begin collecting baseline achievement data for all year 7 to 10 students against curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics
• leaders and the Board strengthen the annual implementation plan to include data collection, clear targets and measures for attendance, achievement, and equity
• leaders complete and implement the attendance plan

Within six months:

• leaders and staff develop and implement expectations for high-quality teaching and provide targeted professional learning
• leaders implement and monitor expectations for literacy and numeracy teaching across the school
• leaders and staff evaluate the impact of current programmes and initiatives on learner outcomes and make necessary adjustments

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review teaching strategies to accelerate progress and identify areas for further professional learning
• leaders and teachers evaluate the impact of targeted initiatives on achievement and adjust as required
• teachers monitor and track student progress toward NCEA and individual goals
• the Board and leaders evaluate progress against schoolwide goals and report to the community
• leaders monitor, review, and refine attendance initiatives to improve regular attendance

Annually:

• leaders and the Board review the impact of school initiatives and consistency of teaching practices; use findings to inform strategic planning
• leaders and the Board evaluate strategies to increase regular attendance and address barriers to learning; use findings to inform next steps.

Expected outcomes

• Improved achievement and equitable outcomes for all learners.
• Consistent, high-quality teaching practices informed by data and responsive to learner needs.
• Robust evaluation practices used by staff and the Board for ongoing improvement.
• Improved and sustained levels of attendance.

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

16 February 2026