Christchurch Boys’ 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

Christchurch Boys’ High School is a state school providing education for students in Years 9 to 13. The school’s mission is to develop fine young men who are morally courageous and strive for personal and community success. The school advocates the values of commitment, bravery, honour and service. The school has a roll of 1414, including 13% who are Māori, 5% of Pacific heritage and 16% Asian. The Christchurch Boys’ High School Board owns and operates a boarding hostel, Adams House. 

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.

Expected improvements

The school focused on evaluating the conditions required to support evidence-based evaluation of teaching.

The school expected to see implementation and embedding of the teaching profile for consistent, high-quality teaching across classrooms that lifts and accelerates students’ learning.

Findings

Leaders and teachers together have defined the Christchurch Boys’ High School teaching expectations. Leaders aligned the school’s professional learning and growth processes to support teachers to embed these in their practice. Students experience more consistent teaching across classes. The school is now working on deepening shared understandings of the science of learning and how this informs teaching practices.

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.

• Almost all students achieve the literacy and numeracy requirements for national qualifications by Year 11. Junior and senior students needing additional support make accelerated progress in their learning to achieve the literacy and numeracy requirements for national qualifications. 
• Most Years 11 and 12 students achieve NCEA Levels 1 and 2, the large majority of Year 13 students achieve Level 3. A small majority of students achieve University Entrance. Improving equity in achievement for all groups of students and in the rate of NCEA endorsements remain school priorities. 
• A small majority of students attend school regularly; this is behind the Government’s target of 80% of students attending 90% of the time. The school has appropriate plans for improving regular attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Leaders consistently align the school’s systems and day-to-day practices with its vision and values.
• Leaders set high expectations for effective teaching and for learners to engage positively and achieve well.
• The Board and leaders use high quality evidence to monitor progress and strengthen outcomes for learners. 
• The Board and leadership team create coherent systems, processes and practices that drive strategic improvement.

• Students experience a broad curriculum that provides challenge and extension and responds to their interests, strengths and aspirations.
• Teachers set high expectations for learning and behaviour. Classrooms are calm, focused and productive, and teachers respond effectively to students’ learning needs.
• Teachers use purposeful questioning and varied approaches to engage students with the curriculum. They build students’ self-management skills in line with the school’s values.

• The school’s values are well known and consistently demonstrated in daily school life by adults and students.
• Students value the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available to them and how these are explicitly linked to the school’s values and supported by its wider community.
• Staff respond quickly and effectively to students’ wellbeing and engagement needs through a strong and well-coordinated pastoral network.
• The school’s commitment to inclusion and belonging for all students is highly evident; sound systems are in place for monitoring student wellbeing.

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

• Promote and support academic excellence leading to improved achievement of endorsements in national qualifications, including for Māori and Pacific learners.
• Further improve student engagement and achievement by extending and embedding the school’s expectations for high quality teaching in line with updates to The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and deeper understandings of the Science of Learning.
• Lift the proportion of students attending school so that they make the most of opportunities to learn and succeed.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers review and refine strategies to improve the quality of achievement in national qualifications, including strategies to support equitable outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners
• leaders and teachers review the school’s expectations for high quality teaching in line with updates to the NZC and research on the learning process; identify key practices to be fostered and developed
• leaders and teachers implement the school’s attendance management plan 

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers monitor student attainment of higher levels of achievement linked to national qualifications and adapt programmes and strategies accordingly
• leaders and teachers evaluate progress in embedding agreed high quality teaching practices, assess the impact on student engagement and achievement and plan next steps for strengthening consistency
• leaders evaluate attendance strategies, report progress to the school Board, and adjust community communication and planning as needed 

Annually:

• leaders evaluate and report to the Board on the effectiveness of strategies to raise national qualification outcomes and use findings to inform annual targets and improvement strategies
• the Board and leaders identify longer‑term priorities for fostering consistent high quality teaching practices and incorporate these into annual planning and professional learning
• the Board and leaders set new annual attendance targets and refine approaches based on the year’s overall attendance outcomes. 

Expected outcomes

• Increased and equitable achievement of national qualifications for all students, including the achievement of merit and excellence endorsements in NCEA. 
• Consistent, high-quality teaching that improves learner engagement and progress.
• Higher rates of regular attendance supporting improved student outcomes across the school.

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

21 May 2026