Papanui High 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

Papanui High School is a state co-educational school that provides education for students in Years 9 to 13. The school roll of 1469 includes 72% of students who identify as Pākehā / New Zealand European, 21% as Asian, 16% as Māori, 4% as Pacific heritage, and 3% as Middle Eastern Latin American or African 

The school’s Kimi Ora department provides education for learners with an intellectual disability who have Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding. The school has recently opened Kāinga Tuku Awe, an off-site activity centre that supports students to re-engage with learning. 

A new principal was appointed in January 2024. The school’s vision is My School, Tōku Kura; My Success - Tōku Tiketike; My Responsibility - Tōku Haepapa. The school’s values are Whanaungatanga - Community, Hiranga - Excellence, Tika - Integrity.

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 May 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

The school focused on evaluating the impact of its strategies to improve academic and engagement outcomes for boys in Years 9 and 10. 

Expected improvements

The school expected to see equitable and excellent outcomes for this group of learners at National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) Level 1.

Findings

There have been noticeable improvements in boys’ NCEA Level 1 achievement over the past three years with disparities between the performance of boys and girls reducing. 

Raising attendance is a crucial contributor to improving overall student achievement. Initiatives to improve attendance include an increased focus on across-school literacy and numeracy teaching, the appointment of a leader of boys’ learning, and the establishment of a professional learning group which focuses on boys’ achievement. The school day is re-structured to reflect research on boys’ learning. 

Recommendations for sustained improvement have formed the basis of the school’s strategic plan.

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 significant number of students enter the school at the beginning of Year 9 below expected curriculum levels and with a wide range of learning and pastoral needs. The school is yet to embed consistent schoolwide systems and processes to assess, track and monitor Year 9 and 10 learners’ progress and achievement. 
• A large majority of students achieve NCEA Levels 1 and 2, and a small majority achieve Level 3. Achievement outcomes vary significantly across learner groups, highlighting ongoing equity challenges.
• By the end of Year 13, most students met the requirements for the NCEA Literacy and Numeracy Co-requisite assessments.
• A small majority of students attend school regularly. The school prioritises ways to improve attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Leadership is strengthening structures, systems and processes to create a positive, settled environment for learning.
• Leaders are developing an agreed upon collaboration framework for implementing change.
• Senior and curriculum leaders are developing data gathering and reporting capability about student progress and achievement to guide planning and teaching.

• Learners access a wide range of learning options that reflect and support their interests, strengths, and prepares them well for future pathways.
• Teachers use relationship-based strategies effectively to respond to learner needs.
• Monitoring and building learners’ literacy and numeracy skills is a priority across all curriculum areas.

• the Papanui High School Board, leaders and teachers have established relationships with mana whenua and are committed to ensuring ongoing partnerships with a range of community groups.
• Teachers foster positive, respectful relationships that support learner engagement.
• Consistent processes are in place to ensure that student’s diverse needs are effectively catered for, and that they can access a range of supports.

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

• Improve equity in learning, achievement and engagement outcomes for boys and Māori learners.
• Nurture a school culture that builds a strong sense of identity and belonging for all learners.
• Embed a schoolwide culture that builds a shared vision for implementing change.
• Increase regular attendance to meet Government targets

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• school leaders and teachers review and refine strategies to improve equity in learning, achievement, and engagement
• school leaders gather and analyse student and community voice to inform processes and practices that increase a sense of identity and belonging for learners
• school leaders gather and analyse Board and staff voice to inform processes for developing a shared vision for implementing change

Every six months:

• curriculum leaders analyse achievement and engagement data to adapt strategies to improve equity in learning, achievement and engagement
• school leaders evaluate the effectiveness of processes for developing a shared vision for implementing change
• leaders and teachers review and refine attendance strategies

Annually:

• the Board and senior leaders evaluate and report on the effectiveness of strategies to inform next steps
• school leaders evaluate the effectiveness of strategies that increase a sense of identity and belonging for learners to inform next steps
• school leaders and teachers evaluate and review processes for developing a shared vision for implementing change
• the Board and senior leaders evaluate the impact of attendance strategies to improve regular attendance

Expected outcomes

• Improved equitable outcomes for boys and Māori learners.
• A stronger sense of identity and belonging for all learners.
• School wide leaders effectively drive strategic change.
• Improved regular attendance. 

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

13 May 2026