Review 23 October 2025
LatestSchool 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
Kelson School provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school has 258 enrolled students. The majority of students identify as New Zealand European/Pakeha, followed by 18 % Asian and 12% of students identify as Māori. The school’s values are Resilience, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence.
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.
| 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 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 rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a 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? | 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 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 | 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
This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.
- The small majority of learners attend school regularly.
- 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
This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.
- 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
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 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets set 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
- High and sustained levels of student achievement are supported by comprehensive monitoring, tracking and sharing of individual student data.
- Effective collaborative teaching ensures the New Zealand Curriculum is taught with high expectations for student achievement.
- Transitions into and out of the school are well planned and supported by regular feedback from students and whānau.
- High levels of relational trust, collaboration and distributed leadership are evident across the school.
- Parents are actively encouraged to participate in the school community and as partners in their children’s learning.
- School leadership and the School Board collect a wide range of data to inform decision making for ongoing improvement.
- The School Board understands and is focussed on student achievement and progress, helping them make informed resourcing decisions.
- The school has made significant progress in reflecting the bi-cultural heritage of New Zealand with the guidance and support of the whānau rōpū to promote engagement.
Key priorities
- Embed current school mathematics and literacy programmes.
- Align assessment with changes to the New Zealand Curriculum.
- Further improve regular attendance.
Actions to bring about improvement
Every six months:
- leaders monitor schoolwide teaching and learning in structured literacy and mathematics to promote ongoing student engagement and achievement
- leaders and the School Board closely monitor the effectiveness of initiatives to improve student attendance and adjust where needed
Annually:
- the School Board use reported schoolwide data on achievement in structured literacy and mathematics to evaluate the impact of curriculum and assessment changes on learner outcomes
- leaders and the School Board work together to evaluate the effectiveness of the attendance plan and develops strategies for the following year to support ongoing improvement.
Expected outcomes
- The literacy and mathematics curriculum are well embedded and positively impact student outcomes.
- New assessment tools are embedded and used across the school.
- Improved attendance, especially for those learners who do not attend regularly at present.
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
23 October 2025