Ngatapa 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 

​​Ngatapa School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8.  The school roll is 13, 50% of learners identify as Māori and 50% are Pākehā / NZ European. The school’s mission statement is Learning for Life. Our mission is to develop life skills in our children through engagement and awareness so that they are creative confident learners. The school is underpinned by the values of Confidence, Respectful and Innovative. 

​Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. 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? ​​Success and progress for all learners is increasing.​ 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 ​an increasingly 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 ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.​ 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 

​​A large majority of​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​becoming more equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Writing 

​​A small majority of​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​becoming more equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Mathematics 

​​A large majority of​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​becoming more 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​ improving towards or beyond the target. 

Assessment 

This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.  

• ​​The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.​
• ​​Teachers are developing 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 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.  

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 

• ​​Students learn in an inclusive environment where teachers and staff set high expectations for both teaching and learning. Students actively engage in their lessons and feel a strong sense of belonging.  
• ​A structured literacy approach has been implemented, and a structured approach to mathematics is currently being introduced.
• ​The school curriculum is providing meaningful learning opportunities and is linked to local contexts and connections with iwi.
• ​Leaders and teachers work collaboratively, and teachers are well supported to build capability through professional learning programmes aligned with strategic goals for learner achievement.  
• ​School leadership focuses on strengthening the conditions needed for student success and wellbeing. The Board makes strategic resourcing decisions to ensure staffing effectively supports student progress.
• ​Parents are well informed about student achievement, progress, and wellbeing through effective school–community communication.  
• ​School leaders and the School Board engage in community consultation to help set strategic goals and guide future initiatives.​ 

Key priorities  

• Review the school curriculum to align with changes to The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements.
• Embed structured mathematics approaches schoolwide.
• Continue to build teacher knowledge and practice accelerating progress for learners in writing.
• Make better use of data for a more in-depth understanding of the needs of groups of learners.
• Improve regular attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months: 

• leaders and teachers review teaching and learning approaches in reading, writing and mathematics to ensure alignment with new curriculum and assessment requirements
• review the attendance plan to identify the strategies that are helping students regularly 

Every six months: 

• leaders and teachers analyse student progress data and use this information to inform next steps in teaching and decision making
• leaders and teachers review attendance information to identify trends and patterns and adjust the attendance plan as required 

Annually: 

• leaders and the Board evaluate progress with embedding structured teaching approaches in mathematics to inform decisions about ongoing staff professional development and resourcing
• the Board use schoolwide achievement data for all groups of learners, to strategically plan actions that will improve achievement, especially for learner outcomes in writing
• the Board evaluate the impact of strategies used to further improve students’ regular attendance to inform decision making about next steps to improve attendance.  

Expected outcomes 

• High-quality teaching in mathematics embedded schoolwide.
• Equitable and excellent outcomes for learners in writing.
• Improved regular attendance.
• The school curriculum aligns with The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements. 

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements 

This section of the report is about how the school meet 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 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 (Acting)​ 

​​1 September 2025​