Shannon 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 

Shannon School provides education to learners in Years 1 to 8. The current roll is 122; 70% of the school’s roll identify as Māori. The school’s vision is Kia Mau te Puawaitanga o to Mana – Nurturing the Mana of the Learner. 

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 November 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school expected to see all learners progressing and achieving at their expected curriculum level and coherent, consistent and collaborative school-wide practices.

Findings 

Since the new principal was appointed in Term 2 2025, systems to support coherent, consistent and collaborative school wide practices have been implemented. Assessments, aligned with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, have been sourced to identify appropriate teaching and learning levels. 

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.

Achievement in Years 1 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 in foundational skills.

Attendance

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

• The small majority 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 reducing over time.  

Assessment 

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

• The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers are developing their use of assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.

Progress

This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.

• 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 for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Rumaki/Reo Rua outcomes and conditions to support learner success 

This section of the report provides more detail about the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of te reo Māori in rumaki/Reo Rua classroom/s within in English medium schools.

Learner success and wellbeing

• Ākonga in Te Whare Kākano experience te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori learning opportunities that are beginning to support the development of future Ngāti Whakatere cultural leaders.
• Ākonga are yet to engage in a consistent Māori medium learning programme underpinned by a structured curriculum framework that supports progress and achievement in line with curriculum expectations.

Conditions to support learner success

• Kaiako deliver contextually relevant learning through Ngāti Whakatere narratives.
• English-medium teaching tools and assessment practices are used for reading, writing, and mathematics, limiting opportunities to assess learning through te reo Māori.
• A cohesive Māori-medium transition plan is yet to be co-constructed in collaboration with stakeholders.

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

The school has a long-standing commitment to its community and continues to build on this legacy. Staff know their learners well and work collaboratively to respond to individual learning needs. They are open to change and demonstrate a growing confidence in their ability to strengthen teaching and learning. Under the leadership of the new principal, significant school-wide improvements have been implemented in a short time. Strong partnerships with local iwi and a supportive school Board enable ongoing development and positive outcomes for learners.

Key priorities

• Maintain and strengthen initiatives that promote regular attendance for all learners. 
• Embed assessment for learning practices and build data literacy across staff and the board to create a shared sense of urgency about accelerating progress. 
• Consolidate structured approaches to reading and writing and develop a consistent language of learning across the school.
• Design and implement clear strategic goals aligned with iwi and whānau aspirations. Establish a coherent, structured learning framework and professional learning plan to build capability and capacity in Māori-medium teaching practices and approaches.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within 3 Months:

• the Shannon School Board and leadership engage key stakeholders to confirm aspirations and priorities for Te Whare Kākano
• leadership and kaiako to develop and implement a professional learning plan focused on Māori medium teaching tools and practices to build kaiako capability

Within six months:

• review and refine attendance strategies to ensure they are responsive to identified barriers 
• provide targeted professional learning on assessment for learning and data use for teachers and leaders
• begin implementing structured literacy approaches consistently across classrooms 
• engage the Board in understanding achievement data and its implications for decision-making
• governance and leadership develop and implement strategic goals for Te Whare Kākano

Every six months:

• monitor attendance trends and evaluate the impact of initiatives
• analyse achievement data to identify progress and next steps for learners at risk of not achieving 
• review the implementation of structured literacy and adjust support as needed 
• report to the board on progress toward priority goals and seek feedback for improvement
• leadership to monitor progress against strategic goals to improve ākonga achievement and success

Annually:

• evaluate the effectiveness of attendance strategies and set new targets
• review school-wide assessment practices and data literacy to ensure consistency and impact
• assess the impact of structured literacy on learner outcomes and plan for further development
• share progress and achievement information with the community to strengthen partnerships
• governance and leadership evaluate the impact of strategic goals and professional learning plan on ākonga success; refine and identify improvements for the coming year.

Expected outcomes

• Increased learner attendance and engagement across all year levels.
• Improved teacher capability in using assessment information to accelerate progress.
• Consistent implementation of structured literacy approaches leading to improved reading and writing outcomes.
• A Shannon School Board that is well-informed and actively supports strategies to raise achievement for all learners.
• Strategic goals informed by iwi and whānau aspirations drive a coherent, structured Māori medium programme and improve ākonga engagement, progress, and achievement.

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets 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                   Sharee Hemingway
Director of Schools        Director Ākonga Māori

24 March 2026