Grovetown 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 4 years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.

About the School

Grovetown School is located north of Blenheim and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6.  There are currently 61 learners enrolled in the school. 78% of students are Pākehā | New Zealand European and 20% of learners identify as Māori.

The school’s vision is Whakaohooho Akonga – Inspiring learners. Its Uara values are Manaakitanga – Respect, Learning for Life, Whanaungatanga – Belonging, Kia Kaha – Resilience.

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 judgements 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.

• Most 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 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 is yet to show how well it has improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school is yet to show how well it has 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 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

• Learners report that they have a strong sense of belonging to the school and clearly understand and demonstrate school values.
• Leaders foster and embed collaborative teaching practices to improve outcomes for all learners and help to reduce disparities among different student groups.
• Teachers consistently implement structured literacy practices throughout the school. They are currently rolling out a structured mathematics programme and taking part in focused professional development.
• Teaching approaches across the school provide comprehensive learning opportunities in both literacy and mathematics.
• Professional learning opportunities for teachers are aligned with strategic goals and engagement with the Kāhui Ako.
• Leaders and teachers are developing and applying a shared approach to evaluation, driving continuous improvement across the school.

Key priorities

• Develop a formalised assessment framework with consistent school-wide assessment practices.
• Strengthen teaching practice to align with curriculum requirements and raise achievement.
• Develop and implement consistent schoolwide expectations for planning, delivery and evaluation.
• Improve and sustain regular attendance.
• Consult the school’s Māori community.

Actions to bring about improvement:

Within three months:

• leaders establish a plan for assessing progress and achievement, including cohorts of learners and the equity of achievement
• the School Board will consult with the school’s Māori community to inform actions to improve the progress and achievement of Māori students

Within six months:

• leaders develop a framework for gathering and analysing wellbeing data from learners and staff on a regular basis
• leaders and teachers review teaching practice and plan action as needed to ensure alignment with curriculum requirements

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review learner assessment data and provision of support
• leaders report progress and achievement data to the School Board
• leaders evaluate the impact of schoolwide teaching practices on learner progress and achievement
• leaders evaluate the impact of attendance strategies and plan next steps

Annually:

• leaders evaluate the effectiveness of assessment frameworks and tools on progress and achievement
• leaders review and refine the effectiveness of teaching practices and their impact on learner progress, achievement, equity and wellbeing
• the School Board and leaders review progress towards improved regular attendance and plan for further improvements and resourcing
• the School Board will consult with the school’s Māori community to inform actions to improve the progress and achievement of Māori students.

Expected outcomes

• Robust assessment frameworks and practices will be embedded in practice.
• Consistent and cohesive teaching practices be across the school.
• Improve learner progress, achievement and wellbeing outcomes.
• Increased equity of progress and achievement between groups of learners.
• Levels of attendance will be high and sustained.

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

ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• The school must consult its Māori community and develop and make known policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students [Sections 127 (1) and 139 Education and Training Act 2020].
• Minutes must be kept for in-committee meetings when the public is excluded [Public Records Act 2005].
• As part of governing the school, the Board’s management of complaints must include setting and following a policy, a system for monitoring complaints, a process for ensuring resolution, practice of self-review of trends in complaints. [Section 125 (2) Education and Training Act 2020].

The Board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within three 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)

1 September 2025