Te Wharau School (Gisborne)

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 Wharau School is a primary school providing education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school has 341 students and 78% are Māori, 15% New Zealand European|Pākehā, 5% of Pacific heritage and 2% Asian. The school’s vision “For Learning, For Excellence, For Life-Hei Akoranga, Hei Hiranga, Hei Oranga” is supported by the principles of Whanaungatanga, Mana Motuhake and Kotahitanga. The school has recently introduced four bilingual classrooms.

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 February 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school aimed to, through a cohesive schoolwide approach, improve learner wellbeing, engagement and achievement underpinned by restorative and relational practices. Key goals included deepening partnerships with whānau and the wider community, building teacher capability in wellbeing and restorative teaching. Capability and capacity have been developed through professional learning and systems for gathering and analysing wellbeing data that guide responsive, evidence-based actions.

Findings 

The school embedded culturally responsive and relational practices. Significant changes include resourcing to strengthen community liaison and introducing bilingual classrooms to support whānau aspirations for their children. Teaching practices shifted, informed by neuroscience and trauma-aware approaches. The principles of restorative practice guide interactions across the school. 

Professional learning for staff is ongoing, combining external expertise with internal review and reflection. Wellbeing data is used to guide initiatives and measure effectiveness. Since the previous report, regular attendance has improved, student wellbeing is better supported, and learner achievement has increased in reading and writing. 

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 1 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.

• A small majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is behind 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.
• Chronic absence is 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.
• 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 making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets 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

• Learners demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and maintain positive, respectful relationships with their teachers and classmates. The school values are strongly embedded and exhibited. Learners express pride in their school and learning achievements. They participate in a wide range of school activities.
• Student wellbeing is a clear priority and is actively promoted across the school.
• Teachers know learners well. Structured teaching practices in reading, writing and mathematics occurs in orderly, inclusive learning environments. Learners are well supported to engage and apply new learning.
• The curriculum is strongly connected to the local context, fostering cultural links and valuing tikanga, local history and te reo Māori. This supports learners to see themselves and their culture reflected in their learning.
• Leadership is highly collaborative, seeking and valuing the views of staff and the school community. Feedback is systematically used to inform and develop innovative approaches that enhance teaching and learning.
• High levels of relational trust and effective communication are evident across the school community. Whānau are recognised as partners in education, kept well informed about student progress and meaningfully involved in decisions about learning.
• School leaders set clear expectations and actively monitor these so that teaching quality improves across the school. The use of a robust self-review system evaluates the impact of these actions on student outcomes.
• Te Wharau School Board actively engages with the community to gather feedback that informs strategic priorities. It works in close partnership with the principal to support the effective delivery of school goals. 

Key priorities

• Sustain and further improve current gains in regular attendance by monitoring and analysing patterns of attendance.
• Work with the community to understand the impact of absences on progress and achievement.
• Align and embed the English and mathematics curriculum, integrating updated assessment practice across teaching and learning programmes.
• The school Board undertakes regular self-review to support continuous school improvement and to measure their effectiveness as stewards.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Every six months:

• leaders and the school Board analyse learners’ attendance, progress and achievement information to inform next steps and respond to any disparity in outcome for groups of learners
• leaders and teachers monitor the consistency of teaching and learning approaches in reading, writing and mathematics for alignment with curriculum and assessment requirements

Annually:

• the school Board reviews the impact of strategies to improve regular attendance and uses the findings to guide strategic decisions
• the school Board, leaders and teachers evaluate the impact of changes made to the school curriculum and use of data on achievement in literacy and mathematics
• the school Board undertakes comprehensive self-review to evaluate its impact on school performance and determine next steps for governance improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Regular attendance meets or exceeds the Government target of 80%.
• Student progress and achievement is sustained, improved and equitable.
• The school curriculum fully aligns with The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements.
• Outcomes of Te Wharau School Board’s self-review informs strategic decision making.

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

3 February 2026