Ngamatapouri 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

Ngamatapouri School is a small rural primary school for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school is located 47kms from Waitotara on SH3, and 80kms from the main service centre, Whanganui.

The school’s vision of Standing Strong on our Land looking out to the future is underpinned by the school values that promote learners who are respectful, resilient and who take responsibility for themselves, their learning and their environment.

An alternate governance model has remained in place for several years.

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?Learners experience high levels of success and make excellent progress; outcomes are similarly high for all groups.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 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%

ReadingAll learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.WritingAll learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.MathematicsAll learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Attendance

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

• The school is approaching 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.

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.

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 have a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school; they experience a positive and inclusive environment that supports their learning and engagement.
• Leaders set and pursue relevant goals and targets aligned to meeting the needs of learners in collaboration with their community.
• Teachers know their learners well, tailoring learning matched to their individual need that supports their positive engagement in a multi-level teaching environment.
• Staff have established structured literacy in teaching and learning programmes and are taking steps to implement structured mathematics; a consistent focus on supporting all learners to gain sound foundational skills in literacy and mathematics is evident.
• Staff promote a culture of collaboration that supports their collective efforts to reflect on, and adapt practice, to match the individual needs of learners.

Key priorities

• Implement an attendance plan to track and monitor school progress toward the Government target.
• Embed structured maths teaching approaches.
• Staff work together to implement the new curriculum, helping students make progress and achieve.
• Regularly review and update assessment practices to ensure student progress is tracked and reported clearly as the new curriculum is introduced.

Actions to bring about improvement

Every six months:

• leaders will gather and analyse attendance information evaluate the impact of their actions on increasing the regular attendance of learner
• teachers participate in structured mathematics professional learning and review progress data to review the impact on student outcomes
• staff update assessment tools and practices to match the curriculum phases and make sure student progress is tracked, recorded, and reported clearly

Annually:

• staff complete a statement of variance using evidence that shows the impact of their planned actions to meet the Government achievement and attendance targets and identify next steps for improvement
• staff use assessment tools and systems effectively to report learner progress and achievement aligned to the curriculum phases in English and mathematics.

Expected outcomes

• Learner attendance that achieves the Government target and is sustained over time.
• Structured approaches in mathematics are embedded into the delivery of the curriculum and impact positively on learner outcomes.
• Robust assessment tools and practices are aligned with curriculum phases to effectively track and report learner progress and achievement.

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 

23 September 2025