Te Aratai College

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

Te Aratai College, formerly Linwood College, is a co-educational state school for students in Years 7 to 13 in Christchurch. The school roll is 1340, 29% of students identify as Māori, 57% NZ European/Pakeha, 22% Asian and 13% of Pacific heritage.

The school provides education for students with special learning needs (Aukaha) and has a Teen Parent Unit (Kimihia Parents’ College). The vision of the school is Mauri Ora through ako: progressive, inclusive, safe, and engaging education for flourishing wellbeing and personal excellence.

A new principal began in 2024. Over the past three years, the school has experienced rapid roll growth.

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 February 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvement

The school has been working to evaluate its curriculum and the impact on the quality of experience and outcomes for learners. The school expected to see improved curriculum, pathways and transitions for students; increased engagement, attendance and equity of outcomes; and strengthened partnerships with whānau.

Findings

There has been a small improvement for Māori learners in NCEA Level 2 and aspects of literacy and mathematics in the junior school. Progress toward more equitable NCEA Level 1 outcomes has not yet been achieved.

Despite an increased focus on Māori attendance, Māori attendance rates have continued to go down, as has attendance for the whole school. Fewer Māori learners are finishing school with NCEA Level 2 compared to other groups. Plans to help Māori learners move between school stages have begun but yet to be fully established. The school had additional targeted staffing to support improving attendance. This remains a main priority.

The school have introduced a variety of new communication methods for learners and their whānau, but their impact is not yet clear. There has been more involvement with students and families about learning plans, but the school has yet to review its impact.

What we know about learner success

The judgments in this section are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• 2024 school achievement data shows that less than half of learners in Years 7 to 10 made expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Since 2020 overall achievement in NCEA Levels 1 and 2 have declined. Level 3 remains below that of similar schools and very few students gain University Entrance.
• The school uses a range of interventions and programmes to support learners with additional needs. However, it is not yet known how effective the support is for these learners.
• Less than half of learners attend school regularly. This is well below the Government target of 80%. Improving regular attendance and reducing chronic absence remain priorities.

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Cohesive schoolwide leadership is required to ensure professional accountability and consistency of school expectations and practices to support and accelerate learner progress, achievement and educational success.
• Leaders have taken early steps to strengthen pastoral systems and processes. This requires ongoing development to support students.
• The School Board and leaders should get feedback from learners, staff, whānau and the wider community to establish clear, concise strategic planning priorities focused on improving outcomes for learners.
• The School Board and leaders need to develop a clear understanding about the central role of accelerating progress and achievement through setting specific improvement targets with supporting actions and accountability measures.

• Learners appreciate the inclusive culture of the school and their relationships with teachers. However, collective focus on positive learning behaviours is essential for maintaining a calm, supportive environment that benefits learners and their wellbeing.
• Some teachers design and implement purposeful and engaging programmes of learning.
• Leaders and teachers have begun to establish a consistent approach to programme planning and the use of effective teaching strategies.
• Establishing a more suitable physical learning environment to support the growth in roll numbers and the diverse range of learners should continue to be a priority.

• The achievement data collected by the school provides a strong base on which to build a comprehensive data-driven improvement plan.
• The school uses a wide range of outside community agencies and programmes to support learning and wellbeing. Understanding the effectiveness of these programmes and interventions to maximise outcomes for learners is a next step.
• A review of the senior curriculum and pathways for the suitability for learner needs has been carried out to better meet the needs of students.
• School policies, systems and practices need to be current, consistently applied and fit for purpose.
• With the increase in student enrolments and diversity of learner needs, creating appropriate learning environments to accommodate these changes is an ongoing consideration.

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 actions for improvement.

Key Priorities

• Strengthen schoolwide professional leadership at all levels.
• Increase regular attendance and reduce chronic absence.
• Improve approaches to supporting positive behaviours for learning.
• Improve progress and achievement and rates of achievement in NCEA.
• Review the provision of learning support in Aukaha for students requiring higher levels of learning support and other students requiring learning support.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders and the School Board develop an action plan with clearly defined measurable outcomes to address and bring about improvement in the key priorities, share with staff and the school community
• leaders complete the review of outcomes for students in Aukaha and schoolwide learning support provision
• leaders and the School Board use the review to develop a plan that provides a coherent framework for the provision of education for learners in Years 7 to 13 who require additional learning support

Within six months:

• leaders implement the action plan, with measurable outcomes and include timeframes to regularly review progress
• leaders and the School Board implement the initial phases of the plan to build leadership and evaluative capacity across the school
• leaders and teachers implement the attendance plan
• leaders and teachers implement strategies to support positive learner behaviours and effective teaching
• leaders and teachers monitor and respond to learner progress and achievement, especially in literacy and mathematics
• leaders implement the action plan for Aukaha and school wide learning support and provide appropriate learning environments for students in Aukaha

Every six months:

• the School Board monitor the extent to which leadership and evaluative capacity across the school is built and sustained
• leaders and the School Board monitor the implementation of the attendance plan for consistency and improved outcomes
• leaders and teachers continue to monitor how well promoting positive learner behaviours and effective teaching strategies schoolwide and adjust as necessary
• leaders monitor how teachers are using student progress and achievement information to improve teaching in literacy and mathematics

Annually:

• leaders and the School Board review the effectiveness of the attendance plan in improving attendance and supporting learner behaviours, and use these findings to update the community and adjust as needed
• leaders and the School Board use student progress, achievement and engagement information to understand what is working and what is not, and adjust as required for continuous improvement
• leaders and the School Board review the quality and outcomes of learning support programmes and the education and learning environment in Aukaha to inform decision making and guide planning for improvement.

Expected outcomes

• Cohesive and capable professional leadership to bring about improvement.
• Improved regular attendance, progress and achievement for all learners.
• A positive settled learning environment that supports all learners, including those learners in Aukaha.
• Student assessment, achievement and progress information is used well to inform teaching and learning, particularly in literacy and mathematics.
• Improved delivery and provision of learning support across the school.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider intervention(s) to appoint a limited statutory manager listed in section 171 of the Education and Training Act 2020 to bring about the following improvements: 

• developing schoolwide leadership capacity, that includes clear accountabilities
• ensuring effective systems and processes are implemented across the school
• to improve learners’ progress and achievement, curriculum development that includes schoolwide understanding of effective teaching strategies, assessment and support for positive learning behaviours
• Aukaha learning support and the wider provision of learning support across the college
• regular attendance.

The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation 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

6 October 2025