Nuhaka 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

Nuhaka School is located in the Wairoa District and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school has a rumaki class that provides total immersion Māori language instruction. The current school roll is 108. The largest proportion of all learners are those who identify as Māori (87%), 11% are New Zealand European/Pākehā and 2% are of Pacific heritage.

The school values of Hauora, Aroha, Kotahitanga and Akonga underpin the school curriculum. As the result of Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, the school relocated to temporary premises for the past 2 years and 4 months. They moved back into new premises on the school grounds in 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

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?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.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?The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school reasonably 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 is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school is improving its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Student Health and SafetyThe 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 not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

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

Results are not yet 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.

• Less than half of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is significantly behind 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.
• Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.

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 is developing 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau 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

• Learners’ wellbeing (hauora) and engagement are promoted through school policies and procedures designed to eliminate barriers to learning and enhance educational outcomes. This was particularly evident during the cyclone recovery period.
• Students’ language, culture and identity are valued, visible and woven through the school’s curriculum.
• The school effectively works in partnerships with external support agencies and the local community to enhance the wellbeing and engagement of students and their whānau.
• Staff professional learning is targeted, planned and strategically implemented for ongoing improvements to teaching practice and learner outcomes.
• The school use a structured approach to teaching literacy and mathematics to support learner progress and achievement.
• A collaborative staff and leadership team prioritise and plan for school improvement, with a consistent focus on equity of outcomes for priority learners.

Key priorities

• Embed effective teaching practices in structured mathematics and literacy.
• Improve achievement for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Enhance the use of assessment practices and data analysis to inform next steps in learning and strategic priorities.
• Strengthen evaluation processes for ongoing improvement to teaching, learning and equity of outcomes.
• Improve students’ regular attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders and the School Board evaluate and refine strategies and initiatives that improve attendance, adjust plans as needed and share with the community
• leaders review and refine assessment practices to better inform next steps in learning and strategic priorities
• teachers and leaders review systems used for internal evaluation, and identify area for improvement, including an evaluative approach to inquire into teaching practice

Every six months:

• leaders report to the School Board on student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, including groups of students, to show the impact of planned actions and intended response to emerging trends
• teachers and leaders use evidence to review how well school initiatives are helping improve student attendance and outcomes
• the School Board and leaders review attendance strategies and progress towards improving regular rates of attendance, and use this information to identify next steps

Annually:

• leaders and staff use indicators of effective practice to evaluate the impact of initiatives on student attendance, engagement, wellbeing and achievement and plan for the following year
• the School Board and leaders review student attendance, progress and achievement and use this information to further adapt strategies and inform future improvement priorities and share with the community.

Expected outcomes

• Cohesive and structured approaches for teaching literacy and mathematics embedded throughout the school.
• Improved outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Strengthened use of assessment and achievement information.
• Enhanced internal evaluative practices that effectively assess the impact of actions and inform decision making for improved equity of outcomes.
• Improved rates of regular attendance.

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 4 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

15 September 2025