Tapawera Area School

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.

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

Tapawera Area School is located near Nelson and provides education for students in Years 1 to 13. The school has a junior school for Years 1 to 8 and a senior school for Years 9 to 13. The current school roll is 160 of which 89% identify as European/Pakeha, 40% identify as Māori and 2% as Pacific. The school’s vision is ‘with fire in our hearts, empower learn and grow.’ ‘Nā te hatete i te ngākau, ko whakamana, ko ako, ko whanake.’

A Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) was appointed in October 2025.

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

Improvement and progress 

This section is about the progress the school has made since the April 2024 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school focused on evaluate the extent that leadership for learning develops and promotes cohesive schoolwide systems and processes to support and builds effective teaching practice that improves student learning and wellbeing outcomes.

The school expected to see a greater focus on high expectations and consistency of explicit teaching across the school, the use of formative assessment being used to inform teaching and shared with students leading to improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for all learners.

Findings

There has been some progress in reading and writing. Achievement mathematics achievement has significantly declined over the past 2 years.

School leadership maintain a focus on developing internal capability and growing middle leadership. Leaders have a clear strong vision and a strong strategic and annual plan. Targeted professional learning for staff has been provided with a focus on maintaining high expectations and the use of explicit teaching, which is visible in the junior school. 

Across the school teaching quality remains variable. Leaders are implementing strategic working groups and professional learning groups for all staff which align with the strategic goals of the school. 

Leaders have developed systems for the collection of achievement data but are yet to grow teacher capability to better use and share data with students.

What we know about learner success 

This section provides a summary of learner success, wellbeing and foundation school conditions, including any education in Rumaki/Reo Rua settings. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Learner success and wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• A large majority of students in Years 1 to 10 are at or above expected levels for reading and writing and a small majority achieve in mathematics. Overall achievement in mathematics has dropped over the last two years. There is persistent disparity for girls and Māori students in writing and mathematics.
• In 2024 a small majority of students achieved National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 and 3 and less than half achieved NCEA Level 2. Student achievement in NCEA Level 2 showed significant improvement with most students achieving Level 2 in 2024.
• Wellbeing data indicates students feel increasingly positive about the school and express a sense of belonging.
• A small majority of students attend school regularly; the school is not meeting the Government target of 80%. Chronic absence is not reducing over time.

Conditions to support learner success

This section provides a summary of leadership, teaching, curriculum and foundation school conditions for improvement.

• Leaders focus on raising expectations and strengthening support to improve academic outcomes for all learners and the development of a positive culture for student learning.
• The leadership team works effectively to build staff and middle leadership capability to implement school improvement priorities.
• Leaders have developed a thorough, consistent Professional Growth Cycle process involving observations feedback, student voice, learning walls and targeted professional learning.
• Professional learning opportunities are strategically aligned with the school’s improvement priorities and learner needs. 

• The quality of teaching in the junior school is good. Teaching quality across the school is variable, greater consistency of expectations and behaviour management is required.
• A curriculum team leads the development of a Year 1 to 10 curriculum plan and school-wide themes provide local context and authentic learning opportunities for students.
• Students with additional learning and behaviour needs are identified early by leaders and teachers and provided with relevant, effective support to progress and achieve.
• Targeted interventions such as the Forge programme and the Āko learning support hub are showing improvement in positive engagement and progress for some students.

• Intentional steps taken by leaders to develop professional networks and collaborate with external agencies are showing improvement in engagement and progress for some learners.
• Student wellbeing is prioritised; student feedback is gathered regularly and school-wide behavioural systems and processes reviewed to strengthen classroom practices and school culture; deeper analysis of well-being data is needed to identify patterns and inform strategies for improvement.
• Leaders create positive opportunities for whanau and student engagement through events and community initiatives; flexible approaches such as hybrid timetables and individual plans reduce barriers for at risk students.

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 identifies key priorities and actions for improvement.

Key priorities

• Strengthen the quality of teaching practice and clearly align across the curriculum from Year 1 to 13 to improve equity of achievement and progress for all students.
• Introduce a school wide framework of expectations for effective and consistent teaching practice.
• Improve regular attendance to meet the government targets.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• teachers participate in professional learning to build capability in gathering, analysing and using learning information effectively
• develop a school wide framework of expectations for effective and consistent teaching practice 

Every six months:

• leaders gather and respond to wellbeing surveys and monitor consistent behaviour management strategies across the school
• leaders monitor the implementation of the school wide framework, determine what is working and decide on appropriate next steps
• leaders evaluate the impact of teaching practices on the equity of student progress and achievement and plan for future development
• review attendance data, evaluate impact of actions and adjust strategies to improve regular attendance

Annually:

• the school Board and leaders collect, analyse and report on attendance, progress, wellbeing, behaviour and achievement data to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the school’s initiatives, inform strategic and annual planning, identify next steps for improvement and share with the school community. 

Expected outcomes

• Improved wellbeing, positive behaviour, engagement and equitable progress and achievement for all students.
• Students below expected curriculum levels make accelerated progress through targeted interventions.
• Consistent, positive and effective teaching practices embedded across the school that promote equitable outcomes for all students.
• Improved and sustained levels of regular attendance for all learners.
• Clear and coherent school processes used systematically to support continual improvement.

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

2 March 2026