Puketapu School (Hawkes Bay)

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

Puketapu School is in rural Hawke’s Bay and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is currently 243 students. Pākehā | New Zealand European students make up most of the roll, 25% of learners identify as Māori. The school motto of Ako Tahi Tātou – Learning Together is supported by the values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and rangatiratanga.

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. 

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. 

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 is developing a suitable plan 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.
• Assessment information is used well 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 meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets set 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

• Students benefit from a safe, supportive environment with strong relationships and clear expectations.
• A structured approach in reading, writing and mathematics programmes forms part of a broad school curriculum that supports student achievement.  
• A cohesive leadership team drives schoolwide improvement focused on increasing student outcomes.
• Consistent teaching practices meet the needs of students supported by a well-resourced school.
• Targeted staff professional learning is aligned to the schools’ strategic goals and improving the equity of outcomes for all learners.
• The school focuses on enacting genuine partnerships with iwi and hapū to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Key priorities 

• Improve regular attendance.
• Embed the structured mathematics programme.
• Continue to extend high quality structured literacy practices across the school.
• Continue to extend teacher confidence and capability in the use of te reo Māori, te ao Māori and tikanga Māori and integrate these understandings and practices in learning programmes schoolwide.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers implement structured mathematics and continue extending structured literacy approaches schoolwide
• implement an attendance plan to support improving regular attendance 

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review and report on attendance and adjust the plan if needed
• develop teachers’ confidence in using te reo Māori as a component of day-to-day practice in conjunction with mātauranga Māori and tikanga Māori

Annually:

• leaders review and report on the implementation of structured mathematics and the literacy programme and plan further enhancements to ensure learners’ achievement continues to improve  
• leaders evaluate the growth of teachers’ and learners’ use of te reo Māori and cultural practices and plan future actions to extend these practices
• the School Board and leaders review progress towards annual and strategic goals and use this information to guide decision making for ongoing improvement. 

Expected outcomes

• The school meets the Government target for high regular attendance by 2030.
• Structured mathematics is implemented to accelerate students’ progress and achievement.
• The positive impact of literacy programmes extends schoolwide.
• Te reo Māori, te ao Māori and tikanga Māori are used in teaching and learning programmes across the school.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.  

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 School Board has attested to regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Provision for International Students

This section is about the quality of the provision of education for international students enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. It has completed the required annual self-review. 

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

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

10 October 2025