Omahu 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 

Omahu School provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is currently 57 all of whom identify as Māori. 

The school’s vision for learners is Ōmāhu Utaina- to live for our people, serve our hapū, and contribute to generations to come. Tamariki are prepared with mātauranga, tikanga, and a strong sense of identity, so they are ready to carry the kaupapa forward with pride, leadership, and purpose. This vision is  underpinned by the core values Ngā Pou: Kaitiakitanga, Manaakitanga, Rangatiratanga, and Whanaungatanga.

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. 

Most learners enter Omahu School significantly behind the expected curriculum level. The school’s efforts are well focused on accelerated progress.  

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. 

• Less than half of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is significantly behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is developing a suitable plan 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 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

• Students learn in an inclusive environment. Learners express a strong sense of belonging and enjoy the supportive relationships they have with staff and other learners across the school.
• Students have increased opportunities to learn and experience a curriculum that supports their cultural identity.
• Learners benefit from structured teaching practices in literacy and the implementation of a structured mathematics programme is underway.
• Leadership is highly collaborative and seeks the views of parents and staff for continuous improvement of learning. Leadership increasingly builds a culture committed to high-quality teaching to ensure the best possible learner outcomes.
• High levels of relational trust and communication between leadership and staff contributes to respectful classroom interactions that support learning.

Key priorities 

• Improve regular attendance.
• Review and strengthen the school's curriculum to ensure consistent expectations for teaching and learning.
• Strengthen teachers use of data to strategically enhance student achievement.
• Enhance teacher professional development in using achievement and assessment data to align with strategic goals and improve the quality of teaching school wide.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• the School Board and teachers develop a clearly planned attendance strategy to increase rates of attendance with specific actions that are regularly monitored
• leaders and teachers work with the school community to understand the correlation between regular attendance and academic progress and achievement

Within six months: 

• leaders and teachers analyse attendance, progress and achievement information to inform next steps and respond to any differences amongst groups of learners
• leaders and teachers report on the progress made in implementing changes in the school curriculum and use this information to inform next steps to support learner outcomes 

Annually:

• the School Board, leaders, teachers and gather relevant attendance and engagement information, including from the school community, to evaluate the impact of actions in addressing regular school attendance
• the School Board, leaders, teachers and evaluate the changes made to the school curriculum and the use of data to enhance achievement in literacy and mathematics. 

Expected outcomes

• All students attend school regularly.
• A consistent schoolwide understanding and implementation of the curriculum to inform planning and strategic decision making and support learner outcomes.
• Strengthened capability in teaching and learning practices and assessment aligned to learner outcomes.

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

12 September 2025