Canvastown 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

Canvastown School is located between the townships of Havelock and Rai Valley in Hawkes Bay. The school provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. Pākehā / New Zealand-European make up 92% of learners with 11% identifying as Māori. The school focus is Canvastown CARES, which guides learners to be Caring, Active Achievers.

Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. 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 August 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

The school has continued to strengthen learning-centred relationships between learners, whānau and teachers. This creates a family-like environment which supports improved outcomes for learners. The school has prioritised responsive teaching practices that better cater for individual learners’ needs and increases equitable opportunities to learn. Learner wellbeing and engagement continues to drive strategic planning.

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 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 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 large majority of students attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is developing a suitable plan 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 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 targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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 that they enjoy being at school and have positive relationships with their teachers.
• The principal is taking steps to foster a learning culture committed to equity and excellence.
• The school provides many opportunities for learners to inquire and learn in the local environment, supporting them to participate and contribute to these contexts.
• Teachers are implementing structured literacy; the school is well placed to fully implement the English and Maths curriculum in 2026.
• The principal and teachers draw on internal and external expertise to help plan and co-ordinate the school’s curriculum to strengthen pathways for learners.
• Targeted high quality teaching programmes for learners at risk are responsive to learner’s strengths and interests.

Key priorities

• Refining annual plans to include specific goals to accelerate progress for those learners who are at risk of not achieving.
• Developing an integrated, coherent schoolwide learning programme.
• Increasing the use of effective and purposeful questioning to enhance learners’ exposure to deep concepts, ideas and skills.
• Supporting learners to use the skills they are learning to self-regulate when approaching difficult situations.
• Improving regular attendance to meet the Government target.

Actions to bring about improvement:

Within six months:

• teachers set specific targets and take deliberate actions designed to accelerate progress for learners not yet meeting expectations
• leaders and teachers consult the community on curriculum content and pathways for learning
• leaders and teachers develop an attendance plan to be shared with the community, which sets clear expectations for attendance
• leaders and teachers decide on programmes and assessment tools to support the literacy and numeracy curriculum

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers communicate the importance of regular learner attendance to the school community to support improvement
• leaders and teachers gather evidence and learner feedback around resilience and choices when facing difficult situations and use this information to deliver programmes that support wellbeing and self-regulation

Annually:

• leaders and teachers will review and update the curriculum to ensure students experience learning that is both challenging and relevant during their time at the school
• the School Board use reports from school leaders about learner progress in mathematics, reading and writing to inform future resourcing decisions
• the School Board and leaders develop annual plan targets and goals for student progress and achievement to sustain improvement
• the School Board actively monitor and respond to learner attendance and share their attendance plan with the community.

Expected Outcomes

• Learners at risk of not achieving will make accelerated progress.
• Coherent learning programmes that include learning contexts and expectations for learners at each curriculum level.
• The structured mathematics curriculum will be embedded.
• Learners having ownership and control over their own learning across a range of learning contexts.
• Increased evidence of learner wellbeing and self-regulation.
• Improved learner engagement and attendance.

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 (Acting)

21 August 2025