Riwaka School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background

This Profile Report was written within 14 months of the Education Review Office and Riwaka School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Riwaka school is situated on the doorstep of the Abel Tasman, just out of Motueka and caters for students from years 1 to 8. Riwaka School’s vision is that ‘all adults will work together to create an inclusive, respectful learning culture that nurtures tangata whenuatanga, enabling ākonga to thrive and soar in their life and learning’.

Riwaka School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• Rangatiratanga – acting in ways that identify Riwaka school as a caring and inclusive school community.  
• Whakawhanaungatanga – working in partnership with parents, whānau and the wider community to support best outcomes for all ākonga.
• Ako – teaching and learning is reciprocal and responsive to the needs of ākonga.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Riwaka School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of strengthening teacher’s knowledge and practice of assessment to improve outcomes for all learners.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is: 

• teachers need to know their learner’s data in order to plan, teach and assess effectively
• the school is working towards embedding purposeful professional growth cycles into teacher practice
• there is an identified need for teacher practice to link to the strategic goals of the school.

The school expects to see:

• increased equity for learner achievement across the school 
• teachers having robust professional understanding of learner’s individual needs 
• teacher ownership of assessment and the purpose of assessment
• teachers having insight into the impact of their own practice which will be better reflected in their planning. 

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the impact of strengthening teacher’s knowledge and practice of assessment to improve outcomes for all learners:

• A renewed approach to leadership and strategic vision with a supportive and engaged board focused on improving outcomes for all learners.
• The school is a central part of the community.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• developing a school culture that is inclusive and respectful for all members of the learning community
• professional learning to develop assessment for learning, aligned to local curriculum design so that teachers understand their impact and learners know their learning 
• providing opportunities for the parents and community to engage in the changes for teaching and learning at Riwaka School. 

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years. 

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools 

8 May 2024 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home