Chanel 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 

Chanel College is a Catholic state integrated school in the Wairarapa for students from year 7 to 13 and is co-educational. The school roll has increased substantially over the previous five years and has 325 students currently attending, approximately 20% identify as Māori.

The College values are: Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga and Kaitiakitanga.

The principal joined the school in 2022. A Ministry of Education Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) was appointed early in 2023 to help leaders and the Chanel College Board. The LSM finished working with the school in March 2025. 

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 September 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings. 

Expected Improvements

The school has evaluated how well it has progressed in developing internal evaluation processes to support school improvement.

The school expected to see teachers using achievement information to support effective teaching and learning and the identification and support of target groups who need to make accelerated progress. As well as learners' needs, including Year 7 students starting at the school, being well understood, ensuring access to learning and success throughout the curriculum.

Findings 

Teachers have developed their knowledge and skills in relational practice, resulting in teachers knowing their learners well. Schoolwide assessment expectations are recently in place and teachers increasingly use assessment information to respond to learners’ strengths and needs.

Target learners are identified through assessment information; refined analysis and reporting will help leaders know the impact of teaching programmes on accelerated progress. Learners with additional learning needs are identified quickly and appropriate learning support is in place.

The transition process for year 7 learners has developed with the implementation of a community wide response. Better communication processes have improved transition for other year levels.

Other Findings 

During the evaluation, it was found that a change in the culture of the school required urgent attention. School leaders and the Board have used internal and external review to identify where change is needed. Rigorous and routine use of internal evaluation for continuous improvement remains a next step. 

The greatest shift that occurred is a change in school culture has taken place, learners now enjoy a more settled environment that supports their learning. 

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. 

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• Most learners achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 and Level 3 with the large majority achieving Level 2. Almost all achieve the co-requisite literacy and numeracy requirements, and achievement outcomes are equitable.
• The majority of learners in year 7 and 8 are at expected levels for reading and writing but less than half achieve expectations in mathematics.
• The school is yet to develop a clear understanding about student progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics in Years 9 and 10.
• Students demonstrate the school's values, learning in an environment where these values are clearly taught and put into practice.
• The small majority of students attend school regularly. Regular attendance is improving towards the Government target of 80% regular attendance.  

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Leaders have led substantial change. Positive changes to the school culture have been established, providing a stable and productive environment for learning.
• Leadership have established clear and consistent values and relational expectations that are well communicated, known and used to foster an inclusive learning environment.
• Leaders are more strategic in their approach to change and increasingly distribute leadership responsibility across the teaching team.

• Curriculum changes have been implemented to improve learner engagement; developing a collaboratively enacted approach with clear curriculum coherence is the next phase.
• Consistent assessment expectations are in place in the junior school; teacher ability to use assessment data is developing, and improved schoolwide analysis will help leaders identify and respond to trends and patterns.
• Systematic professional development promotes shared understanding and responsibility for learning among teaching staff; internal experts can share practices with guidance from external expertise.

• Leaders use external review to shape considered next steps for teaching and learning; systematic internal evaluation is now required to determine ongoing impacts to learners and to make continual improvements.
• Assessment for learning processes are developing but not yet consistently applied across the school; strengthening the use of assessment information will further enhance learning partnerships and encourage learner engagement.
• Board members have built their capacity as effective stewards; they are visible and involved in the school, are scrutinising information that is shared with them, and work effectively with school leaders to achieve their strategic goals.

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.

Key priorities 

• Collect and analyse assessment data in literacy and mathematics for students in year 9 and 10.
• Improve the use of achievement, progress and wellbeing information to bring about improvement.
• Implement a coherent learning programme across the junior school to clearly support the foundation areas of literacy and mathematics.
• Grow the collective responsibility of teachers for learning and quality teaching.
• Clarify and strengthen middle leaders' roles in leading school curriculum and wellbeing initiative
• Develop the internal evaluation capability of leaders to continually improve and know what is working and for whom.
• Improve regular attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months: 

• leaders ensure that assessment data for year 9 and 10 is collected, analysed and reported to the Board
• leaders and teachers use improved and consistent assessment analysis for reading, writing and mathematics across the school

Within six months:

• leaders develop and use internal evaluation processes to find out what is working well for learners and improvements required
• the Board implements their attendance plan, including regular monitoring for improvement

Every six months:

• collect, analyse and report attendance, achievement, progress, behaviour, wellbeing and engagement information to the Board and staff

Annually:

• the Board and leaders collect, analyse attendance, achievement, progress, behaviour, wellbeing and engagement information, identify next steps for improvement and share with the school community.

Expected outcomes 

• Improved rates of student attendance, achievement, progress, behaviour, wellbeing and engagement.
• Assessment information is regularly collected and used to inform teaching and learning across the school.
• A coherent learning programme is implemented across the junior school, resulting in improved foundational literacy and mathematics skills.
• Clear and coherent school processes are used systematically to support continual improvements. 

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation 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 

9 October 2025