Waimea College

School Evaluation 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.

Context 

Waimea College is a co-educational secondary school for Years 9 to 13 learners located in Richmond, Nelson. The school’s statement of Your Place to Excel is underpinned by the school values: Manaakitanga | Caring; Whanaungatanga | Belonging; Akoranga | Learning.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

• A large majority of learners in Year 9 achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; in Year 10 a small majority achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and a large majority in mathematics.
• Most Year 11, 12 and 13 learners, including a large majority of Māori learners, achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1, 2 and 3.
• A large majority of learners express a strong sense of belonging at the school and increasing this further is a key school focus.
• A small majority of learners attend regularly although the school is yet to meet the Government’s target for regular attendance; engagement and attendance is a school priority.

Conditions to support learner success

• Leaders and teachers use research about responsive practices to support high-quality teaching and learning practices for all learners to experience success.
• Improvement goals and actions are carefully chosen and monitored for how effectively they meet the specific needs of learners.
• Leaders increasingly use internal evidence-based review systems and processes to support continuous improvement for all learners.

• Leaders at all levels are establishing the design and delivery of a responsive curriculum and consistent teaching across all classes to support success for all learners.
• Teachers are strengthening their use of learning data to implement teaching strategies so that each learner can make progress.
• Teachers are taking steps to further develop trusting classroom relationships to strengthen learner wellbeing and support learners to seek help when needed.

• The board and leaders have a clear focus on strategic and annual planning based on strong community consultation and centred on furthering learners’ wellbeing, engagement and achievement.
• A collaborative culture assists leaders and teachers to reflect on their practice, evaluate impacts of teaching on learner outcomes, and respond to the results.
• Tailored assistance from teachers successfully supports improved engagement and progress for learners who require this.
• Leaders, teachers and board demonstrate strong commitment to growing their capability and understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to strengthen the school’s bicultural practices.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• embed evidence-based review systems and processes to measure the effectiveness of the school’s improvement strategies for inclusion, engagement, attendance and achievement
• refine school structures and systems to strengthen the use of wellbeing and learning data to improve outcomes for all
• continue the focus on school-wide effective teaching strategies to respond successfully to the varying needs of learners
• develop a shared understanding of culturally responsive teaching practices so all learners achieve personalised success
• use learner, whānau and staff feedback to develop a Learner Graduate Profile.

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

Within six months:

• leaders implement refined school structures and systems to support learner wellbeing and achievement
• leaders and teachers implement the agreed effective teacher strategies for schoolwide consistency
• teachers respond to the school’s literacy and numeracy targets and use appropriate teaching strategies to support learners’ progress.

Every six months:

• use learner feedback to evaluate the schoolwide implementation of the agreed effective teacher strategies, including culturally responsive practices
• evaluate and report on progress towards meeting attendance targets and act on any emerging trends
• evaluate and report on learner progress and achievement and act on any emerging trends.

Annually:

• use learner, whānau and teacher feedback about teaching and learning to inform planning
• evaluate and report on the impact of the refined school structures, systems and teaching practices for increased learner wellbeing and achievement.

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

• improved levels of inclusion, engagement and attendance
• teaching practices that respond to learners’ cultures and identities and support the achievement of all learners
• increased learner progress and achievement across all year levels.

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

19 February 2025

About the School

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