Casebrook Intermediate

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 

Casebrook Intermediate is a co-educational school located in the Christchurch suburb of Papanui and provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. The school roll is 468 with NZ European/Pākehā making up the largest proportion of all learners (62%). 19% of students identified as Māori; 13% identified as Asian; 8% identified as Pacific and 4% identified as Middle Eastern, Latin American or African (MELAA). The school values are Respect| Whakaute, Excellence| Panekiretanga and Perseverance| Hiringa.

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-wide goal was to increase the number of students achieving at or above the expected level in mathematics. To support this, leaders and teachers researched effective mathematics practice and redesigned the schools’ approach to teaching mathematics. School leaders monitored student progress to evaluate the impact of changes, aiming to improve mathematics achievement and ensure equitable outcomes for all students.

Findings 

Students’ progress in mathematics over the last three years has remained consistent with the large majority of students achieving at or above in mathematics. Some groups of students are still not achieving as well as others in reading, writing, and mathematics. To address this, the school has created a dedicated teaching role focused on supporting specific groups of students with their attendance, engagement 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?The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.What is the quality of teaching and learning?Learners benefit from high 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 ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school successfully 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 reports usefully and accurately 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 7 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.

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 not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

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

Results are not yet 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 small majority of students 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 uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to 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 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

• Students at Casebook Intermediate demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school. They engage in a broad range of extracurricular activities and demonstrate initiative by taking on leadership responsibilities. Students and staff work together to bring the school’s values to life in everyday school life.
• Leadership is shared and builds on people’s strengths, creating a team-focused, collaborative environment. Leaders have put effective systems in place to support student wellbeing and keep communication with families clear and consistent.
• Project-based learning offers a rich, hands-on curriculum that aligns with specialist technology programmes and reflects a commitment to excellence. Thoughtfully designed to foster meaningful learning outcomes, it is responsive to the needs and interests of Year 7 and 8 students.

Key priorities

• Reduce disparities in students' achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics, so that all learners have equitable opportunities to succeed and make accelerated progress.
• Identify barriers to learning and implement strategies that promote success for learners, including Māori and Pacific students.
• Work with parents and whānau to improve regular attendance.
• Teachers guide students to understand learning goals, assess their progress, and decide on next steps within a clearly defined context.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• teachers adopt inclusive relationship-based teaching practices that consider students’ cultures and identities and promote effective learning
• leaders and teachers review whānau responses to attendance initiatives and work with students and whānau to implement strategies that improve engagement

Every six months: 

• teachers and leaders closely monitor progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics to identify, students who are not achieving, and adapt plans to accelerate learning 

Annually:

• school leaders and the Board review end-of-year achievement and wellbeing data to inform strategic decision-making, guide future priorities, and ensure the effective allocation of resources aligned with organisational goals
• the school Board and leaders review strategies to improve student attendance and meet government targets.

Expected outcomes

• Reduced disparity for groups of students in reading writing and mathematics.
• Regular student attendance rates that show sustained improvement across the school.
• The school has developed stronger community engagement and connection.

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 

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

• The Board must obtain a police vet for non-teaching staff every three years.
  [Section 104 and Schedule 4 Education and Training Act 2020]
• The Board must authorize, in writing, any staff members who are not teachers and have been trained, to use physical restraint.
  [Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2023 and Section 99 Education and Training Act 2020]

The 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

3 December 2025