Bledisloe 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

Bledisloe School provides education for students in Years 0 to 6 in Taradale, Napier. The school’s roll of 310 students includes 40% of learners who identify as Pākehā|New Zealand European, 37% as Māori, 11% Asian and 8% of Pacific heritage. The school has an increasing number of English language learners. 

The school’s vision Kia Rangatira te Tū|to be better than before in all that we do is underpinned by the values of respect, resilience and responsibility: aroha, rangatiratanga and manawanui. A Māori/English bilingual class was introduced in 2025. A new principal was appointed in Term 2 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 December 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school expected to see the delivery of a high-quality curriculum, with consistent teaching expectations in literacy and numeracy, that promotes equity and lifts achievement for all learners.

Findings 

The school has developed whole school literacy and numeracy plans with clear expectations for evidence-based structured programmes. The quality of learning is supported by classroom observation and teacher collaboration. The achievement of Māori students has increased in reading and writing. Little disparity is evident in the achievement of Māori and Pākehā students in reading, writing and mathematics. Boys’ achievement in writing remains lower than that of girls. Teachers continue to develop their capability to deliver effective learning programmes through professional learning and collaboration. 

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.

Achievement in Years 0 to 6

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.

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 improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.

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.
• Teachers are developing their use of 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 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 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

• Learners benefit from a supportive and inclusive environment that values their cultures and reflects school values. Positive relationships and clear expectations are evident within orderly, learning- focused classrooms.
• Well established structured literacy and mathematics programmes support the progress of learners. A range of programmes and resources effectively support students with additional learning needs.
• Students have meaningful learning with links to local contexts that promotes their engagement in learning.
• School leaders promote equity in achievement through fostering of a collaborative culture for high quality teaching, with students at the centre.
• The school focuses on reciprocal relationships with whānau, and iwi aligned to Te Titiriti o Waitangi and to meet the aspirations the community holds for its tamariki.
• Parents and whānau are well informed about student progress and achievement through effective school-home communication.

Key priorities

• Further improve regular attendance.
• Strengthen the tracking and analysis of wellbeing and achievement data for all learner groups.
• Support teacher understanding of new assessments aligned to the curriculum and how this information informs teaching decisions.
• Use a range of evidence to clearly measure the impact of school initiatives on learner outcomes.
• Create further meaningful opportunities for whānau, hapū and iwi to contribute to the school’s strategic direction.
• Develop systems that promote student goal setting, reflection and their active participation in learning decisions.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders, teachers and the School Board review attendance data, identifying patterns and barriers and communicate with whānau about the importance of regular attendance
• leaders introduce tools and routines that support student goal setting and reflection and identify professional development for staff as required
• teachers engage in professional learning as required, to further build capacity in understanding and using progress and achievement data for all groups of learners across the school

Every six months:

• leaders, teachers and the school Board continue to review the impact of actions to improve regular attendance, adjusting as required
• leaders deepen the analysis of student progress, separating data to clearly show progress and achievement of all groups of learners within the school
• leaders and teachers collect data using multiple sources to measure the impact of school initiatives on learner outcomes
• leaders and the School Board plan and promote opportunities for whānau hui to inform future school direction

Annually:

• leaders, teachers and the school Board evaluate the effectiveness of attendance strategies, adjusting approaches based on data and feedback
• leaders and teachers evaluate the impact of systems that support student goal setting and reflect on student engagement and outcomes
• leaders and the Board review progress and patterns across learner groups and the impact of school actions on learner outcomes and use this information to guide strategic planning and resource allocation.

Expected outcomes

• Increased regular student attendance.
• Clearer understanding of how different learner groups progress and achieve.
• Greater student ownership of learning and development of lifelong learning skills.
• School decision making based on what is working.
• Increased engagement from the school community in school planning and practice.

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 has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• ensure planning and risk assessment procedures for Education Outside the Classroom activities align with school policies
  [Education and Training Act 2020; Children’s Act 2014, Health and Safety at Work Act 2015]
• ensure appointment procedures align to school policies: records confirm identification processes; referee checks and risk assessment have been undertaken
  [Education and Training Act 2020; Children’s Act 2014].

The Board has since addressed 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

28 November 2025