Island Bay 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.

About the School 

Island Bay School is in Wellington and provides education for 312 students in Years 1 to 6. The majority of students are New Zealand European with smaller numbers of Māori and Asian. The school’s mission statement is ’To nurture holistic learners in a broad, inquiring curriculum that fosters a love of learning and cultivates creative minds’. It is underpinned by the core principles of Ako, Whakawhangungatanga, Manaakitanga and Tangata Whenua.

Part A – Parent Summary

How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?

How well are learners succeeding?Learners experience high levels of success and make excellent progress; outcomes are similarly high for all groups.What is the quality of teaching and learning?Learners benefit from excellent 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 rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is a 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?School planning and conditions to support high quality education for learners are driving excellent school performance.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 SafetyThe school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.

Achievement in Years 0 to 8

This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Foundation Skills

 Reading

Almost all learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

Almost all learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

The school is approaching 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.

Assessment

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

The school has good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.

The school has significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.

The school has significantly 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 set for 2030.

An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Guide to ERO school reports
 

Part B - Findings for the school

This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.

Areas of Strength

• Students are highly engaged, reflective learners who discuss their learning and how they apply it across curriculum areas; outcomes for learners are equitable and excellent.
• Responsive teaching and learning reflect learners’ strengths, needs and interests and builds on existing knowledge and skills to promote wellbeing, inclusion and progress.
• Strategic, well-considered leadership drives continuous evidence-based improvements and sets high expectations for teaching and learning and whānau engagement.
• The school is using structured literacy in all areas of the school, with sound planning in place to implement the refreshed English and Mathematics curriculum areas in 2025.
• The curriculum design provides rich, well-integrated learning with breadth and depth across learning areas, including te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.
• A deliberate, well-informed approach to developing teacher capability includes leadership development.
• A culture of continuous improvement is well embedded in school processes.

Key priorities and actions for improvement 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• continue to strengthen the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori within curriculum delivery and other school initiatives
• consolidate a communication plan to strengthen iwi and whānau partnerships to further inform curriculum design and wellbeing initiatives
• refine systems and opportunities to authentically capture student feedback and ideas that strengthen school improvement
• consolidate school-wide strategies that guide consistent teaching practice in mathematics.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within six months:

• review approaches to mathematics teaching and learning using observations, student feedback and ideas, and achievement information to embed consistently high-quality teaching practices
• plan and implement specific opportunities that enable students to contribute to school improvement initiatives

Every six months:

• evaluate the effectiveness of the communication plan to determine if iwi and whānau partnerships are strongly evident in curriculum design and wellbeing initiatives

Annually:

• continue review and report to the board on the impact of teaching and learning programmes on students’ progress and achievement to know what has been successful and what needs further improvement
• evaluate the effectiveness of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori initiatives on student engagement and progress.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

• consistent evidence-based strategies that guide responsive teaching to sustain student progress and achievement
• improved and sustained rates of attendance
• increased use of student feedback in school improvement decision making
• iwi and whānau actively involved in curriculum design and strategic direction. 

Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

During this review the Board has attested to some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

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 Evaluation 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
Acting Director of Schools

26 February 2025

Education Counts

This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home