Riverlands 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

Riverlands School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. There are currently 200 learners enrolled in the school. Pākehā / New Zealand-European learners make up 70% of the school roll, with 30.5% Māori learners, and the reminder from other ethnic groups. 

The school’s vision is Together Weaving the Realisation of Potential and learners are encouraged to know and use the school values Respect, Relationships, Resilience and Responsibility.

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?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning?Learners benefit from high 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 is improving its reporting 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. 

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

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners. 

Mathematics

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

Results are not yet 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 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 not yet 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 

This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.

• 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/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau 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

• Learners express a strong sense of wellbeing in an inclusive school environment and have sound knowledge of the school’s values.
• An experienced leadership team fosters a culture of inquiry into teaching and learning that aligns to the school’s strategic goals and targets improved outcomes for all learners.
• Structured literacy is embedded across the school. A structured mathematics programme is being introduced.
• Teachers provide learning experiences that responds to the interests of learners and supports the acquisition of literacy and mathematics skills.
• Leaders and teachers share a planned approach to evaluation for improvement. 

Key priorities for the school: 

• Strengthen school-wide assessment practices and use of assessment information to inform teaching, learning and reporting.
• Improve learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in boys’ writing.
• Increase equity of progress and achievement between all groups of learners.
• Refine the school’s learning programmes to align with national curriculum requirements.
• Increase regular attendance and reduce chronic absence. 

Actions to bring improvement: 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers develop a plan to implement the national curriculum changes

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers review the collection, analysis and reporting of learner attendance and assessment information and adapt programmes where necessary
• leaders will report to the School Board and the community on the progress towards improving engagement, progress and achievement

Annually:

• leaders and teachers will evaluate school-wide assessment procedures to ensure consistency of practice and improved outcomes for learners
• leaders and teachers review the impact of structured mathematics approaches to identify next steps for improvement
• the School Board evaluate the initiatives implemented to improve attendance and achievement to inform strategic and annual planning.

Expected outcomes

• Improved progress, achievement and equity between all learner groups in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Strengthened school-wide assessment practices that effectively inform next steps in learning.
• Improved regular attendance and reduced chronic absences.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meet 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)

20 August 2025