Review 11 April 2025
LatestSchool 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.
About the School
Our Lady of Lourdes School is a state integrated Catholic school in Palmerston North and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6.
The school roll is 129. The ethnic composition is NZ European/Pakeha 27%, Asian 41%, Pacific 17%, Māori 12% and other ethnic groups 3%.
Learners and staff are guided by the school’s Mercy values of Excellence, Hospitality, Respect, Compassion Social Justice and Service.
Part A: Parent Summary
How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?
| 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 sufficient 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 high quality education for learners are driving excellent school performance. |
| 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 Safety | The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety. |
Achievement in Years 0 to 8
This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.
Foundation Skills | |
| Reading | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Mathematics | Almost all learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
Attendance
The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is reducing over time.
Assessment
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
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.
An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Guide to ERO school reports
Part B: Findings for the school
This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.
Areas of Strength
Learner progress and achievement outcomes are excellent and increasingly equitable.
Learners express a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school that reflects their language, identity, culture and promotes wellbeing and engagement in learning.
Leaders continue to prioritise the improvement of student learning and achievement through evidence-based decision making; timely interventions are introduced to reduce barriers to education and support access to learning for all.
A strong focus on supporting all learners to gain sound foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics is evident; structured approaches are being introduced in teaching and learning programmes.
Learners experience a range of meaningful learning opportunities linked to local contexts, the school’s special character and Rangitāne iwi aspirations.
Teachers and leaders prioritise and engage in effective, targeted and ongoing professional growth and development to support learner progress and achievement.
The Board, leaders and teachers use a systematic approach to planning for sustained school improvement and innovation and are committed to being adaptive, responsive and using high-quality evidence.
Key priorities and actions for improvement
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
- fully implement teaching and learning programmes in literacy and mathematics
- ensure assessments align to refreshed curriculum expectations so that teachers can recognise and respond to year-by-year progress
- provide further opportunities for learners to collaborate, set goals and identify success in their own learning
- explore strategies that support whānau/family to meet Government targets for regular students’ attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
- introduce a programme of professional development for teachers with clear expectations for progress and differentiated learning to support all learners
- review and align current assessments to the refreshed curriculum documents
- explore and extend the use of the achievement information and learner reflections to support students setting their own goals
- meet with families where attendance is not yet regular to ensure that there is agreed plan for regular attendance
Every six months:
- observe teachers in the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics and provide feedback
- collect assessment data and review alignment to revised curriculum expectations
- survey students about their learning and goal setting
- continue to monitor attendance for trends and initiatives which are successfully reducing barriers
Annually:
- review professional growth cycle goals to ensure that teacher inquiry goals are based on professional learning
- report year by year progress and achievement to the board, community and use data to inform the school’s annual plan
- include learners’ individual goals in reports to whānau/family
- report to community on attendance trends to meet government targets.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
- high quality and consistent teaching across the school in reading, writing and mathematics to meet refreshed curriculum expectations
- assessments that align to year-by-year progress expectations and provide leaders and teachers information for teaching and strategic planning
- students who can confidently talk about their learning and determine their next learning steps
- regular attendance continues to improve towards government targets.
Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
Provision for International Students
Background
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Findings
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
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
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within three 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
Acting Director of Schools
11 April 2025
Education Counts
This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home