Te Pohue 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  

​​Te Pohue School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is 18, 50% of learners identify as Māori and 50% as Pākehā / NZ European. The school’s vision is the best we can be through confidence, connection and country values. The school is underpinned by following RESPECT values - Rights, Excellence, Social Skills, Participation, Effort, Co-operation and contribution and Technological competence.​ 

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 ​November 2022​ ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings. 

Expected improvements 

​​The school priorities for improvement are ongoing and include providing students and whānau the opportunity to give feedback on how well the curriculum is working for them. Staff are focused on using assessments in a way that gives clear and useful information to guide teaching and the Board and staff keeping equity at the heart of learning, so every student has a fair chance to succeed.​ 

Findings  

The school has made reasonable steps to include whānau, hapū and iwi voice.  Staff continue to refine assessment practices so that data is clear and useful to guide teaching and inform the school Board’s decision making about the school’s strategic direction. 

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 ​good​ 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 foundational 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 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 is improving its collection and use 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 64% 

65 to 79% 

80 to 90% 

Over 90% 

Reading 

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

Results are ​equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Writing 

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

Results are ​equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Mathematics 

​​Most​ 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. 

• ​​Less than half of​ ​students​ attend school regularly.
• The school is ​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. 

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 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 ​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 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 demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school. They experience a positive and inclusive environment that supports their interests and cultures. Warm and caring relationships are evident, fostering a culture that reflects the school’s values.
• ​Leaders and teachers know their students well and teaching meets their individual needs.
• ​Students have meaningful learning opportunities linked to local contexts and connections with iwi.
• ​Leaders and teachers work collaboratively. Teachers are well supported to build capability through professional learning programmes aligned with strategic goals for learner achievement.
• ​Parents are well informed about student achievement, progress, and wellbeing through effective school - home communication.
• ​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.​ 

Key priorities 

• ​​Embed structured literacy and mathematics approaches schoolwide.
• ​Review the school’s curriculum to align with changes to The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements.
• ​Increase te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and te ao Māori within the curriculum.
• ​Make better use of over time data to gain a deeper insight into the needs of different groups of learners.
• ​Strengthen strategies to improve regular student 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
• ​leaders support teachers to improve confidence and capacity in te ao Māori, including te reo Māori to promote learners engagement
• ​leaders and teachers review the attendance plan to identify the strategies and initiatives that are helping students regularly attend school​ 

Every six months: 

• ​​leaders and teachers analyse student progress data and use this information to inform next steps in teaching and decision making
• ​the school Board and leaders 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 in reading, writing and mathematics
• ​the school Board and leaders review student attendance, progress and achievement information to inform ongoing strategic decision making and planning.​ 

Expected outcomes 

• ​​High-quality teaching in mathematics embedded for all learners.
• ​Equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics.
• ​Teaching and assessment practices align with The New Zealand Curriculum.  
• ​Teachers further incorporate te ao Māori learning in the classroom and school life; teachers and students use te reo Māori with greater proficiency.
• ​Sustained and improved regular student 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​ 

Actions for Compliance  

​​The board and ERO has​ identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process: 

• ​​sight and record a primary source of identification on appointment of staff; record evidence of background and referee checks on the appointment of staff. 
  [Education and Training Act 2020; Children’s Act 2014] ​ 

The board ​has since addressed​ the area 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 October 2025​