Makoura 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

Mākoura College in Masterton provides education for learners in Years 9 to 13. The current roll is approximately 300, including 68% Māori, 17% Pākehā / New Zealand European and 8% Pacific. The school’s vision of growing connected, courageous and compassionate learners is linked to the values of Whaia te Tika, Whaia te Pono and Whaia te Aroha. 

A Commissioner has been working with the school since September 2023, and a new principal began in Term 4 2023. The school hosts an alternative education unit and the Puawānanga Wairarapa Young Parents unit which serves the wider community.

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 March 2024 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school evaluated how effectively the progress of all learners is accelerated through improved processes for transition and a responsive curriculum. The school expected to see increased achievement, including sufficient progress in Years 9 and 10 to support successful outcomes for all learners undertaking NCEA, improved outcomes for groups of students who need to make accelerated progress, and a junior curriculum that is responsive to the interests, needs and strengths of learners.

Findings

Following review and consultation, a new learning structure grounded in the school’s values was introduced across all year levels in 2024. The updated teaching and learning programme and timetable provide greater student choice, access to a broader range of courses, and an emphasis on contextualised learning. This includes target literacy and numeracy support for students in Years 9 and 10. 

Other findings

The greatest shift that occurred is the development of consistent assessment processes which are contextualised and mapped to the appropriate curriculum levels. This provides data for teachers to track and monitor learner progress and achievement.

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.

• In 2024 almost all Year 12 students achieved the National Certificate of Education (NCEA) in Level 2; most Year 11 students achieved NCEA Level 1; and most Year 13 students achieved NCEA Level 3. Results are equitable between groups of learners.
• Less than a third of learners gain University Entrance (UE). UE and NCEA Merit and Excellence endorsements are areas school leaders have identified for improvement.
• Less than half of students in Years 9 and 10 are achieving at the expected curriculum levels in literacy and numeracy. The school is making progress in lifting outcomes for these students.
• Students report a strong sense of inclusion, belonging and connection; they enjoy accessing a wide variety of learning and co-curricular opportunities.
• Less than a third of students attend school regularly. Regular attendance is improving, and the school continues to work with parents and the community to remove barriers to attendance for all learners.

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Leaders strengthen relational trust and collaboration across all levels of the school community to achieve the strategic vision and improvement goals.
• Leaders embed coherent organisational conditions aligned to the school values to support school operations, a positive learning environment, and ongoing improvement.
• Leaders plan and coordinate the school’s curriculum and teaching; expectations for teaching quality are clearly communicated and promoted.

• Students experience programmes that provide for a wide range of learning opportunities, interests, and pathways in and beyond school. Students needing additional support are identified and provided with effective assistance to learn and progress.
• Teachers and leaders are working together to strengthen literacy and numeracy achievement for students in Years 9 and 10, laying the foundation for students’ continued success across the curriculum.
• Students benefit from settled classrooms with teachers increasingly using evidence-based teaching strategies, including learning-focused relational practices, tailored to meet learners’ individual needs.

• The school fosters partnerships with parents, whānau and the wider community, including mana whenua and the Pacific community, to support student success.
• School leaders implement planned approaches to reduce barriers and promote equitable access to learning for all students; these are underpinned by acknowledging and affirming students’ culture, language and identity to promote engagement.
• Teachers make effective use of partnerships with local employers and community groups to enrich learning and support students’ pathways to work and further study.
• School leaders integrate te reo, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori across all aspects of school operations, aligning with the strategic plan.

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

• Accelerate student progress in literacy and numeracy to ensure equitable achievement outcomes for all learners.
• Strengthen consistent, effective teaching practice.
• Embed a shared understanding of effective internal evaluation to support ongoing improvement.
• Increase regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders review and refine current evaluation practices and establish a systematic process across the school
• leaders provide professional learning for all staff to develop the knowledge and skills required for effective evaluation

Every six months:

• leaders provide ongoing staff professional learning to enhance schoolwide teaching, learning and assessment practices
• teachers and leaders systematically collect and analyse learner progress and achievement information to inform next steps in teaching and learning
• teachers and leaders evaluate the impact of literacy and numeracy interventions on student achievement and participation
• leaders and teachers review the outcomes of attendance initiatives to identify ongoing planning and actions

Annually:

• leaders and governance review the impact of teaching, learning and assessment practices on learners’ progress and achievement, identifying initiatives that have been most successful to guide strategic planning and resourcing
• leaders monitor the integration of new curriculum and assessment requirements, and identify future priorities for professional learning opportunities
• leaders and the Board evaluate the impact of strategies on raising regular attendance and plan for ongoing improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Consistent, highly effective teaching practices.
• Accelerated progress in literacy and numeracy for students in Years 9 and 10 to support success across the curriculum.
• Effective internal evaluation used to inform high quality teaching and learning.
• Improved regular attendance.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education continue to support the school through the Commissioner to embed change and ensure sustained progress and improvement. 

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

20 February 2026