Mangatainoka 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 four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.

About the School

Mangatainoka School is a small rural school in the Tararua District that provides education for students in Years 1 to 8 with a roll of 55. The majority of students identify as Pākēha | New Zealand European, followed by 47% of students who identify as Māori. The school values are Whakaute - we show respect, Marutau – we are safe and Akonga – we are learners.

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?Success and progress for all learners is increasing.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 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 ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.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 is improving its collection and use 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 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

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

Most 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 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.
• 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 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 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

• Students learn in calm, well-resourced classrooms and effective teaching and assessment practices to support learning are in place.
• The needs of individual students are identified and catered for within classrooms.
• Teaching is supported by clear guidelines and expectations. New teachers to the school are provided with effective mentoring by school leaders.
• Professional learning for teaching staff is identified and well supported by the School Board in strategic planning.
• The Board continue to build a collective understanding of governance and are well supported by external agencies.
• Partnerships with parents, whānau and the community continue to be a priority for the school.

Key priorities 

• Embed the revised English and Mathematics curriculum areas into classroom practices and align changes in assessment with current school wide processes.
• Further strengthen positive working relationships with parents, whānau and the community.
• The Board embed sound practices to meet their governance roles and responsibilities.
• Increase regular attendance to meet the 2030 target of 80%.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers develop an action plan for implementing the revised English and Mathematics curriculum areas, incorporating clearly defined actions and measurable outcomes
• leaders and teachers develop a communication plan to support parents and whānau understanding of the revised English and Mathematics curriculum areas, including changes in how achievement is reported

Every six months:

• the Board identifies its strengths, and development needs to plan opportunities for professional learning and/or guidance
• leaders review progress against the curriculum action plan to measure progress and adjust if needed
• leaders analyse attendance and achievement information to know the impact of strategic planning and resourcing to inform next steps for learners and to respond to any areas that require acceleration

Annually:

• leaders review the impact of teaching and learning programmes on achievement outcomes to know what has been successful to inform ongoing strategic direction
• leaders review processes for gathering parent feedback to inform strategic planning
• leaders report to the Board on the impact of strategies used to improve regular attendance rates for all learners and further actions to achieve improvements.

Expected outcomes:

• The revised curriculum requirement is delivered consistently across the school.
• Strong parent, whānau and community relationships contribute to raising student achievement and progress in the classroom.
• Sound governance systems and processes guide student success.
• Levels of regular attendance increase to meet the Government target of 80%.

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 (Acting)

21 August 2025