Oroua Downs 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

Oroua Downs School is a rural school providing education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school has a roll of 96. Pākehā | New Zealand-European make up a majority of the school roll, 13% of learners identify as Māori and 26% of Asian heritage. The school’s vision for learners is Whāia to pae tāwhiti - Pursue the distant horizon. The school’s values are Kairangatira (excellence), Auahatanga (creativity), Mahi Tahi (teamwork) and Mana (respect).

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?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning?The school is improving teaching and learning.How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs?

Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is an increasingly 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?The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school is taking steps to improve learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?

The school is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school is improving its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Student Health and SafetyThe School Board needs to ensure a physically and emotionally safe learning environment.

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%

Reading

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

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 students attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is not yet 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 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 is developing 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.

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

• Teachers and leaders understand their learners well and respond to individual learning and wellbeing needs. Learners needing additional in-class support are identified and provided with support.
• Leaders are establishing systematic processes to analyse progress and achievement to inform strategic planning and decision making.
• The school is using a structured approach to literacy and implementing structured mathematics approach to further support learner progress and achievement.
• The curriculum provides a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences to meet learner needs and interests.
• Staff plan and implement professional learning and support to continually improve teaching and learning.
• Leaders and teachers are increasingly using a wide range of information and feedback to inform decision making for school improvement.

Key priorities 

• Develop clear expectations and progressions that align responsive teaching and learning practices throughout the school.
• Use assessment of learning practices and self-evaluation to improve learner outcomes and track them over time to achieve equity of outcomes.
• Report the progress and achievement of identified groups of learners who are not progressing or are at risk of not progressing.
• Improve regular attendance to meet the Government target of 80%.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months: 

• leaders and teachers review planning, teaching and assessment practices to develop a shared understanding of learning progressions aligned with updates to the curriculum
• leaders review schoolwide systems of internal evaluation and identify areas for refinement and implementation
• leaders introduce mechanisms to enable reporting on the progress and achievement of identified groups of learners who are not progressing or are at risk of not progressing 

Every six months: 

• leaders and teachers evaluate and report on the effectiveness of changes to teaching practice
• leaders and teachers review, moderate and analyse student achievement information to inform next learning steps
• leaders review and evaluate the effectiveness of assessment practices and guidelines to support good practice throughout the school

Annually: 

• the School Board and leaders’ review the implementation of the school’s attendance plan and refine strategies to improve regular attendance and plan next steps
• the School Board and leaders review schoolwide attendance, progress and achievement information to guide decisions making and strategic planning.

Expected Outcomes

• Achievement and equity of outcomes improve for all learners.
• Cohesive and responsive teaching and learning practices embedded throughout the school.
• Teaching, strategic planning and reporting strengthened by the use of assessment and achievement information.
• Leaders report regularly on groups of learners who are not progressing or are at risk of not progressing.
• Regular attendance rates improved and sustained to meet the Government target of 80%.

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

Actions for Compliance 

ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• on the basis of good quality assessment information, reported to the school’s community on the progress and achievement of identified groups of students who are not progressing or are at risk of not progressing, including the progress and achievement of Māori students.
  [Regulation 21 of Education (School Boards) Amendment Regulations 2022]
• undertaken a full workforce safety check of every person engaged as a paid children’s worker including requiring two forms of identity documentation and work history checks.
  [sections 25, 26 and 27 of the Children’s Act 2014]

The Board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

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 (Acting)

4 September 2025