Review 4 April 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.
About the School
Newlands Intermediate provides education for learners in Years 7 and 8. The school vision is Newlands Intermediate is a place to stand tall – tūrangawaewae. A new principal has been appointed and takes up this position in term 1, 2025. The total roll in 2024 was 528, with a significant increase in Asian learners since 2022. Similar numbers of New Zealand European/ Pākehā and Asian learners comprise the majority of the roll, 12% are Māori, and 10% identify as having a Pacific nation’s heritage.
Part A: Parent Summary
Progress since December 2023 ERO report
The school expected to see the development of an inclusive local curriculum that effectively supports all learners’ achievement and continuous improvement and reflects of the vision and aspirations of the community. A deliberate focus on improving engagement and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics resulted in most learners showing sustained improvement and, for some, accelerated progress.
Students, staff and the board were involved in extensive consultation with Ngā Hau e Whā o Paparārangi Marae, the community and whānau to develop an integrated curriculum. Ngā Pou at the centre of this curriculum, was developed to guide the school‘s direction, vision, teaching and learning. The inclusion of local, relatable learning contexts has led to heightened student engagement, autonomy and achievement.
How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?
| 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 rich 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? | 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 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 table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.
Foundation Skills | |
| Reading | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Mathematics | A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
Attendance
The school is behind 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 reducing over time.
Assessment
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
Well-established school planning and conditions support has increased 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 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 for 2030 and this will need to be a key strategic priority.
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
A large majority of students achieve well in core curriculum areas and learners with complex needs who require additional support, benefit from integrated, personalised programmes devised by specialist staff.
The strong commitment of all staff to the education and wellbeing of early adolescents ensures the provision of a curriculum that supports the learning of all students.
Well-designed systems and processes are in place to guide and support the new leadership team. Targeted professional development builds staff collective knowledge, capability and capacity. Leaders and teachers continually reflect on the effectiveness of teaching and learning through systematic inquiry and evaluation practices.
Newlands Intermediate staff have been involved in the development of the revised Mathematics Curriculum for Years 7 and 8. Schoolwide implementation of structured literacy and mathematics has been planned for and is underway.
The local curriculum responds and reflects whānau values and aspirations, the local environment and strong connections with Ngā Hau e Whā o Paparangi, the local marae where Newlands Intermediate is tangata whenua.
Key priorities and actions for improvement
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
- continue to implement and monitor schoolwide professional learning for structured literacy and mathematics to promote student engagement and achievement, and embed high quality teaching practice
- develop and implement consistent and well understood schoolwide assessment expectations for literacy and mathematics
- continue to strengthen culturally appropriate practices, within curriculum delivery to increase active student engagement and increase the progress and achievement of all learners
- continue to monitor and plan for improved attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Every six months:
- review the effectiveness of teaching practice through classroom observations and learners’ achievement on structured literacy and mathematics; report progress and planned next steps to the board
- monitor and report on the development of schoolwide assessment expectations to the board
- continue to review the impact of curriculum and the development of culturally appropriate practices through classroom observations and teacher and student reflections to improve student outcomes
- report on student attendance to the board; review the attendance plan, identify effective initiatives and plan actions for improvement for the next six months
Annually:
- analyse schoolwide achievement in structured literacy and mathematics, including that of identified learners; use this data to report to the board and to strategically plan actions to improve the achievement and learning outcomes of all learners
- review progress of school achievement processes and expectations; identify initiatives that have been most successful and use this information in schoolwide strategic planning
- evaluate the impact and outcomes of the local curriculum and strategically plan next steps to further strengthen student engagement and accelerate achievement
- report on student attendance to the board; evaluate the effectiveness of the attendance initiatives and develop a plan for the following year.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
- students who effectively apply structured learning strategies, improved achievement outcomes and accelerated progress in literacy and mathematics
- robust assessment systems and processes that inform teachers’ planning and practice, and support learners to know how well they are achieving and what they need to learn next
- a constantly improving and effective curriculum that enables leaders and staff to strengthen their professional practice, increase schoolwide capability and improve the achievement and wellbeing of all learners
- improved regular attendance.
Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
Provision for International Students
Background
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Findings
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self review of its implementation of the Code.
At the time of this review there were two international students attending the school.
International students are well cared for and experience opportunities to develop academically and socially, as well as participate in the wider sporting and cultural activities across the school. International students are well supported by staff and student leaders to integrate and make friends.
Pastoral care is responsive, caring and proactive. Internal evaluation processes are effective; students and their parents are asked for feedback, and any emerging issues are addressed.
The International Coordinator regularly reports the achievement and progress of International Students to the board.
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
Director of Schools (Acting)
4 April 2025
Education Counts
This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home