Review 15 May 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
Sacred Heart Cathedral School is an inner city multicultural school that provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s mission is ‘To educate our children within a Catholic environment to achieve their full spiritual, academic and personal potential’ which is well aligned to their values of ‘Whanaungatanga, Atawhai, Kaitiakitanga and Ako’.
Part A: Parent Summary
How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?
| How well are learners succeeding? | Learners experience high levels of success and make excellent progress; outcomes are similarly high for all groups. |
| What is the quality of teaching and learning? | Learners benefit from excellent 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 a 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 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
The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
Assessment
The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Assessment information is used well to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
Progress
The school has good quality planning to increase 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 significantly extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
The school is meeting the Government reading, writing and mathematics targets set for 2030.
An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
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
- Leaders have developed an inclusive school culture that is focused staff and student wellbeing that recognises, affirms and values the diverse identities, languages and cultures of all students.
- Students are respected and valued partners in their learning and are active participants in well-being initiatives and demonstrate a strong understanding of the school values and expectations.
- Responsive teaching practices demonstrates a strong understanding of students by reflecting their strengths, needs and interests to build on learners’ existing knowledge and skills.
- Consistent teaching practices are effective with clear expectations and differentiated instruction to meet the diverse needs of all students.
- Students make sustained progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
- Students requiring additional support are identified promptly and provided with individual and effective support. These students experience success in achieving their individual learning goals.
- Strategic, well-considered leadership drives continuous evidence-based improvements and sets high expectations for teaching and learning and whānau engagement; self-review is well embedded in school processes.
- A deliberate, well-informed approach to developing teacher capability is targeted appropriately and affirmed by staff.
- The board works strategically with school leaders to implement the school’s vision and values to achieve agreed goals and targets; resourcing is aligned to support learner-focused improvement goals and strategies.
- Regular parent and whānau engagement and participation in the life of the school contributes to the school’s strategic direction; a range of strategies are used to communicate and engage with parents, whānau and the wider community.
Key priorities and actions for improvement
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
- develop an action plan for implementing the revised English and Mathematics curriculum areas that incorporates clearly defined actions and measurable outcomes
- develop a communication plan to support parents and whanau understanding of the revised English and Mathematics curriculum areas, including changes in how achievement is reported
- refine strategic planning to target key improvement initiatives and further support effective evaluation practices
- strengthen processes to increase regular student attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
- develop and implement an action plan to effectively communicate curriculum and reporting to parent changes in English and Mathematics.
Every six months:
- analyse learners’ attendance, progress and achievement information to inform the next steps and respond with targeted interventions for identified groups of students
- review and report to the board the impact of curriculum changes on teaching and learning programmes and on students’ progress and achievement to know what has been successful and what needs further improvement
Annually:
- analyse and report attendance, achievement and wellbeing outcomes to the board and community; in partnerships with whānau, students and teachers, use this information to inform the next strategic steps
- use the analysis of achievement and progress data, and other evidence, to know and report on the impact of professional learning in curriculum and assessment for teachers on outcomes for students
- ensure robust strategic planning and annual goals, aligned with identified priorities, continue to promote positive outcomes in all areas for all learners.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
- sustained equitable and excellent student achievement
- strengthened evaluative capability
- parents and whānau know and understand changes made to curriculum and reporting to parents requirements
- improved levels of attendance that meet or exceed the Government target for regular attendance.
Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
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)
15 May 2025
Education Counts
This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home