Hope 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

Hope School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school has a roll of 92 learners, with 95% identifying as Pākēhā/New Zealand European, 8% as Māori and 8% of Asian descent. The school’s motto is ‘A positive attitude is everything’ and its values are Manaakitanga - Caring, Ako - Learning, Ngākau whakaute - Respect, and Auahatanga – Creativity (MANA).

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

Expected improvements

The school evaluated on how effectively it uses the localised curriculum, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning and mātauranga Māori, to enhance student engagement and achievement.

Findings  

The localised curriculum continues to strengthen engagement among learners and their families. The school has deepened its use of Ngā Kawatau Tau Tai o Te Tauihu education plan and integrated mātauranga Māori and STEM learning through partnerships with local providers and the wider school community. These initiatives include the implementation of the school’s Mātai Taiao programme, which provides inquiry-based environmental learning to further support learner engagement and achievement.

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?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning?The school is improving teaching and learning.How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs?

Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is an increasingly 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?The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.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 is improving its collection and use 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 1 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%

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 not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is not yet 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 not improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school has not 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.

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 promotes an inclusive culture where diversity is accepted, and learners feel valued and respected.
• Leadership place learners at the centre of decision-making, with strategic planning focused on equity, excellence, and continuous improvement.
• The Mātai Taiao programme effectively engages learners in authentic, meaningful learning experiences connected to their interests and the local environment.
• The school actively connects with families and the wider community to strengthen learning pathways and enhance student success.
• Strong classroom management and clear routines support the effective delivery of structured mathematics and literacy programmes.

Key priorities

• Strengthen assessment, reporting and data literacy across the school to align with curriculum changes.
• Raise achievement and reduce disparity by focusing on target learners and improving writing outcomes.
• Evaluate curriculum planning and programme impact to ensure coherence across all teaching programmes.
• Increase regular attendance and reduce chronic absence to meet government targets.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers use end-of-year data to identify target learners and implement a system for monitoring initiatives and progress
• leaders and teachers develop an overview of the Mātai Taiao programme, showing curriculum alignment, key learning outcomes, and a framework for tracking and monitoring impact

Every six months:

• teachers and leaders analyse progress and achievement data, adapt strategies and professional support as needed, and report to the Board
• leaders review and refine assessment practices and ensure curriculum coherence across the school
• leaders monitor attendance trends and implement strategies to improve attendance

Annually:

• teachers and leaders complete a full analysis of end-of-year achievement and progress data, evaluate the impact of initiatives on target learners, and set priorities for the following year
• leaders review curriculum planning and programme coherence across all learning areas, including the effectiveness of the Mātai Taiao programme, and report findings to the Board
• leaders and teachers evaluate assessment practices and reporting systems to ensure alignment with curriculum changes and make necessary refinements
• leaders review attendance data against government targets, evaluate the effectiveness of attendance strategies with community input, and develop an updated plan for improvement. 

Expected outcomes

• Improved progress, achievement and reduced disparity for all learners.
• Strengthened evaluative capability across the school.
• Cohesive connected learning programmes supported by clear processes and monitoring for target learners.
• Increased regular attendance and reduced chronic absence that meets or exceeds government targets.

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.

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

Actions for compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• workforce safety checking prior to commencing employment
  [sections 25, 26 and 27 of the Children’s Act 2014]
• police vetting completed and considered at least every three years for non-teaching staff 
  [section 104 and schedule 4, Education and Training Act 2020]
• all students are entitled to attend school full-time unless there is a reduced attendance plan approved by the Ministry of Education.
  [section 33 and 34 Education and Training Act 2020]

The Hope School Board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

Provision for international students 

This section is about the quality of the provision of education for international students enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.

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

17 February 2026