Review 1 September 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.
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
Riverdale School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. 50% of students identify as Pākeha | New Zealand European and 21% identify as Māori. The school’s vision statement is Empowering successful inquiring learners and its Ngā Matapono are leadership, creative, excellence and self-managing.
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 excellent 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 foundational 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 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 | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Mathematics | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are 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 large majority of learners attend school regularly.
- The school is approaching 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.
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 significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
- The school has significantly 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets and is likely to meet them by 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
- Leaders drive evidence-based improvements and set high expectations for teaching and learning and whānau engagement.
- The School Board works with leaders to implement the school’s vision and values to achieve agreed goals and targets; resourcing is aligned to support learner-focused improvement goals and strategies.
- Self-review processes are robust, and a culture of continuous improvement is well embedded school wide. Data is used effectively to inform initiatives, interventions for learners and teaching and learning programmes.
- Teaching and learning reflect learners’ strengths, needs and interests and builds on existing knowledge and skills to promote wellbeing, inclusion and progress.
- Curriculum planning integrates learning across subjects, and targeted professional learning strengthens teaching practices throughout the school.
- There are high quality practices in place for identifying and tracking progress for learners who may need additional support, including effective transition through the school and pastoral care provisions.
- Te reo Māori and te āo Māori are increasingly woven into every aspect of the curriculum, reflecting the school’s strategic commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori learner success.
- Students are highly engaged, reflective learners who can communicate their strengths as learners, demonstrating confidence and positivity towards learning.
Key priorities
- Embed the revised English and Mathematics curriculum areas into classroom practices.
- Align changes in assessment requirements to current school wide processes.
- Further embed consistent teaching strategies that accelerate progress and achievement for all students.
- Monitor and strengthen processes to increase regular student attendance.
Actions to bring about improvement
Every six months:
- leaders and teachers analyse students’ attendance, progress and achievement information to inform next steps and respond with targeted interventions for identified groups of students
- teachers review and refine classroom practices and processes to align with revised English and Mathematics curriculum requirements
Annually:
- the School Board and leaders review attendance, achievement and wellbeing outcomes and report to the community and use this information to inform next steps, in partnership with whānau, students and teachers.
Expected Outcomes
- High levels of student achievement and equity of outcomes.
- The refreshed English and Mathematics curriculum, along with new assessment requirements, are implemented throughout the school.
- Levels of attendance meet or exceed the Government’s 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
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)
1 September 2025