Review 22 August 2025
LatestTēnā 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
Arakura School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. There are 154 students currently attending the school of which 52% are Māori. The school has developed a learning space and provides dedicated teaching staff for a large number of students with additional needs. The school identifies that 70% of their current roll have additional learning needs. The school vision and values are the foundation for curriculum delivery, to stand with mana for a better world through kindness, courage and respect.
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 School Improvement Framework | Education Review Office
| 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 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 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 responds well to a wide range 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 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.
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 | Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | Less than a third of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Mathematics | Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are 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 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 not improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
- The school has not extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
- The school is not making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
Support
During the course of this review ERO had concerns about students' progress and achievement and made recommendations for support and/or intervention to the Secretary / Ministry of Education.
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
- Strategic and well-informed leadership drives improvement and is developing high expectations for teaching and learning across the school to improve outcomes for students.
- A well-resourced dedicated space is used to deliver targeted programmes for children with additional learning needs.
- The school has a strong teaching and learning focus on literacy and mathematics; professional development is aligned and targeted to strengthen practice for improved student outcomes.
- Assessments are used to plan teaching and learning experiences, track progress and achievement, and improve student outcomes.
- The school affirms, values and caters for students with additional needs; students' sense of wellbeing and belonging is supported by a wide range of successful initiatives.
- Leadership has built strong relationships with whānau, local marae and external agencies to enhance teaching and learning.
- School leaders uphold Te Tiriti. They developed the Pou Mātauranga e Whā framework to ensure all teaching, learning, and partnerships include Māori perspectives and practices.
- The School Board effectively uses a range of information to plan school improvement priorities to lift outcomes for students.
Key priorities
- Continue to strengthen systems and processes for monitoring and improving student attendance.
- Embed evidenced-based strategies for teaching and learning using the knowledge of students’ strengths and needs to improve outcomes and accelerate learning.
- Embed consistent school-wide expectations to provide challenging, purposeful and well-paced learning opportunities for learners.
- Focus on actions to support Māori learners to achieve educational success as Māori.
Actions to bring about improvement
Within three months:
- leaders clarify approaches to teaching and learning to develop consistency across the school using observations and student voice
- leaders and teachers develop a shared understanding of strategies that improve engagement and provide challenging, purposeful and well-paced learning opportunities
- leaders and teachers use attendance data to identify and implement targeted strategies
Every six months:
- leaders evaluate the impact of teaching and engagement strategies on student achievement using classroom observations, student voice and progress information
- leaders evaluate the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori across teaching and learning for alignment with mana whenua education plans to support progress and achievement
- leaders track and monitor mid-year and end of year attendance information; review and adjust targeted strategies
Annually:
- the School Board and leaders review the impact of teaching and engagement strategies, including interventions for accelerated progress and achievement to inform improvement initiatives
- the School Board and leaders use reported achievement, progress and information identify and plan priority actions
- the School Board and leaders analyse and review attendance patterns and trends to inform the ongoing planning for improving the regular attendance of students.
Expected outcomes
- Improved progress and achievement for all learners.
- Improved levels of attendance that meet or exceed the Government target for regular attendance.
- Consistent, evidenced-based school-wide approach to teaching and learning.
- Clear expectations for teaching and learning that provide challenging, purposeful and well-paced learning opportunities.
- Strong partnerships with mana whenua, focused on actions to support Māori learners to achieve educational success as Māori.
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 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
Recommendation to the Ministry of Education
ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider action plan intervention(s) listed in section 174 of the Education and Training Act 2020 in order to bring about the following improvements:
- student attendance, achievement and engagement
- consistent assessment systems and use of data
- evidence-based and consistent teaching and learning approaches.
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 (Acting)
22 August 2025