Marian 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.

Context 

Marian College is a Catholic state integrated secondary school for girls in Years 9 to 13. After the Christchurch earthquakes, the school was in temporary sites for over a decade. At the end of 2023 Marian College moved into a purpose-built new site in Papanui, Christchurch – Marian College at Māhutonga.

The school’s vision is to be a Catholic community with a love of faith, learning and service for the common good. The school’s values are Courage, Kia māia, Lototele; Commitment, Kia ū, A'afiaga; Perseverance, Kia manawanui, Onosai i mea tiga; Respect, Whakaute, Fa'aaloalo.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Learners are engaged, make good progress and achieve very well.

• In Year 9, most learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and a large majority in mathematics; in Year 10, a large majority are at or above expected curriculum levels in both literacy and mathematics.
• Almost all learners achieve the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) in Levels 1 to 3, and a large majority achieve University Entrance.
• Evidence indicates that learners enjoy a wide variety of learning and co-curricular opportunities.
• A small majority of learners attend school regularly, so the school is not yet meeting the Government target for regular attendance; regular attendance is improving and remains a priority for the school.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders work strategically and collaboratively with a strong focus to improve outcomes for all learners.

• Leaders and the board work collaboratively and strategically to ensure focus on learner wellbeing and progress.
• Learners express a strong sense of belonging and have opportunities to participate and lead in the special character of the school.
• Schoolwide systems are used to monitor and effectively support individual learners in their academic pathways and wellbeing.

Leaders and teachers sustain a learning culture that is positive and strongly relational.

• Learners experience classroom environments that are welcoming and relational with clear expectations and routines for learning.
• Teachers are extending the consistent use of strategies that support the needs of diverse learners for inclusive practice.
• Teachers engage in relevant, appropriate professional learning to improve outcomes for all learners.

Conditions that underpin effective schooling are well-embedded and contribute positively to school improvement.

• Well-established, educationally focussed connections between leaders, teachers, parents, whānau and iwi create an inclusive learning environment.
• Leaders and teachers increasingly use evidence-informed practices for improving outcomes for learners.
• The school actively engages with neighbouring schools to extend the range of opportunities for learners.
• Learners have considered transitions into, with and beyond school contributing to a strong sense of belonging and support for their post-school pathways.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• consult with the community about their aspirations for learners to inform the strategic direction of the school
• refine and extend teacher practices to fully utilise the design of the school’s learning environments to support the range of learner wellbeing, engagement, progress and achievement across the school
• review the school’s curriculum to reflect the diverse post-school pathways of learners and to respond to national curriculum developments
• refine the school-community strategy to increase regular attendance.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within six months:

• use learner and community feedback to review the school’s attendance system and deepen teachers’ understanding of positive factors for increased learner attendance
• collect and analyse senior learners’ feedback around experiences of NCEA and University Entrance to review the curriculum pathways offered and know how well they meet the needs and aspirations of all learners
• update the framework for effective teaching practices to meet the needs of all learners.

Every six months:

• leaders report to the board on progress towards meeting regular attendance targets and act on any emerging trends
• review, evaluate and respond to schoolwide wellbeing, engagement, progress and achievement data.

Annually:

• evaluate the school’s curriculum to know how well it reflects the diverse pathways of learners and to respond to national curriculum developments
• review the impact of teacher professional development on teacher practices in fully utilising the design of the school’s learning environments to improve the outcomes of all learners
• consult with the community about their aspirations for learners to inform the strategic direction of the school.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

• improved regular attendance
• refined and inclusive teaching practices that are consistently experienced by all learners across the school
• a curriculum that reflects and supports the diverse needs and pathways of learners
• continuing high levels of wellbeing, engagement and achievement for all learners.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three 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 (Acting)

6 May 2025

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