Birchwood 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

Birchwood School is located in Nelson and provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school roll is currently 250 with a majority of learners identifying as Pākehā / New Zealand European (55%), 26% Māori, 11% of Asian descent, 2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA), 7% of Pacific heritage and smaller numbers identifying with other diverse cultures. The school’s vision is "Ngātahi te ako, Ngātahi te tipu – Together we learn, Together we grow".

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

Expected improvements

The school have worked to evaluate communication for learning, to understand and ensure parity for all learners. The school expected to see a strengthening of teacher and student learning centred relationships that would impact positively on student engagement and parity for all learners.

Findings 

Outcomes for learners in reading and writing have improved. Māori and Pacific learners achieve higher than their peers in writing. Writing and mathematics achievement show no disparities for learners, but reading remains a priority for some groups. The school identified effective communication systems and processes and implemented improvement priorities. This has enabled clear, consistent, timely, transparent and accessible communication with families. A sustained focus on authentic partnerships with whānau Māori and iwi enact the aspirations of mana whenua. Student voice is regularly collected, analysed and used to inform improvement priorities and next steps in teaching and learning. 

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?Success and progress for all learners is increasing.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 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 high quality education for learners are driving excellent school performance.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school reasonably 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 responds well to a wide range 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 6

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.

Less than a third

Less than half

Small majority

Large majority

Most

Almost all

0 to 33%

34 to 49%

50 to 64%

65 to 79%

80 to 90%

Over 90%

Reading

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

Results are becoming more 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

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

Results are 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.

• The large majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is approaching 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.

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 for 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

• Student voice is actively gathered through a variety of methods and used to identify areas for improvement, leading to high engagement and a strong sense of belonging.
• Partnerships with Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō support the development of a rich curriculum where students’ language, culture and identity are valued, visible and woven throughout the curriculum.
• Teachers know their students well and use relational practices to design differentiated learning programmes with a consistent focus on improving outcomes for all learners
• An effective leadership team drives strategic improvement with a clear focus on equity for priority learners.
• Evaluation practices are embedded and used effectively to identify and address areas for improvement.
• Strong relationships and clear communication between students, teachers, leaders, whānau and iwi support active participation and engagement in school life.

Key priorities

• Strengthen structured teaching in literacy and mathematics to improve outcomes and increase equity for all learners, especially for Māori students in reading.
• Evaluate and expand strategies to improve regular student attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers evaluate the impact of structured literacy and mathematics teaching to identify effective practices and inform further professional learning opportunities
• leaders and teachers review strategies and monitor progress to improve regular attendance
• leaders report to the school Board on student progress in reading, writing and mathematics, showing the impact of actions and responses to emerging trends 

Annually:

• the school Board, in consultation with the community, uses student attendance, progress and achievement information to set strategic priorities and guide resourcing decisions
• leaders, teachers and the school Board evaluate teaching approaches to understand their impact on student engagement and outcomes and use this insight to set future improvement priorities. 

Expected outcomes

• Improved achievement in mathematics and literacy, with reduced disparity in reading for Māori students.
• increased rates of regular attendance across all year levels.

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
Director of Schools

8 October 2025