Waihao Downs School

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

Waihao Downs School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The roll is 69, drawing on the surrounding rural area with some students also coming from Waimate. More than 80% of students are NZ European | Pākehā and 10% identify as Asian. Learners and staff, supported by the community, have a shared goal to be ‘A Rural School Growing Futures, Nurturing Lifelong Learners’. An Acting Principal has been appointed since the onsite review.

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 December 202 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school expected to see teachers using structured literacy approaches and teachers monitoring and adapting their teaching strategies to enhance student achievement. The school prioritised developing the learning partnership with parents and whānau to support students’ educational progress.

Findings

The structured teaching of literacy for younger students has been introduced. Internal evaluation is used to some extent to evaluate student progress. Learning partnerships with parents and whānau have benefited from the introduction of reporting through the student management system.

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?Success and progress for all learners is increasing.What is the quality of teaching and learning?Learners benefit from good 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 sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain 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?The school has not yet established appropriate plans, targets and conditions to support quality education for learners.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school is taking steps to improve learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?

The school is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school is improving its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Achievement in Years 0 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 65%

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 equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more 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 learners attend school regularly.
• The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school is yet to have a suitable plan to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is 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 is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
• Teachers are developing 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Support

During the course of this review ERO had concerns about the leadership and governance of the school and made recommendations for support and/or intervention to the Secretary / Ministry of Education.

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

• Learners are supported, can discuss their learning and were observed to be enthusiastic about their school and opportunities they have.
• Structured literacy is in place for younger learners, learning is adapted and provided for students who have identified needs.
• Leaders are aware of the need to develop school wide approaches to teaching and learning.
• Effective evaluation and teacher inquiry is in the early stages.

Key priorities

• Align and strengthen teaching and learning practices across the school.
• Build teacher expertise and consistency in using assessment to inform teaching.
• Design and implement strategies to support the learning needs of all individuals, promoting accelerated achievement.
• Improve regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers develop an attendance plan to lift regular attendance and reduce chronic absence
• Leaders conduct a well-being survey of learners and staff, establishing baseline data and developing a strategy in response to findings
• Leaders implement regular documented meetings between key staff in priority areas

Within 6 months:

• leaders and teachers establish shared understandings and practices for teaching and learning
• leaders and teachers review the attendance plan and identify next step to continue to lift regular attendance and reduce chronic absence

Every six months:

• leaders review the implementation agreed school-wide teaching practices to plan next steps for teacher development
• teachers analyse assessment information on all learners to inform planning and delivery of curriculum to improve outcomes
• leaders and teachers check systems and processes in place to meet and accelerate learner needs are being used to best effect

Annually:

• the School Board and leaders plan for strategies and resourcing to progress learner and staff wellbeing and student achievement
• leaders and the Board evaluate, and adjust as necessary, the impact of school systems and processes on the acceleration of learner progress and achievement
• the Board and leaders monitor attendance against government targets, adjust resources as needed, and regularly review the plan to improve attendance and reduce chronic absence.

Expected outcomes

• The consistent use of accurate achievement information to inform teaching and learning.
• High levels of engagement and improved progress and achievement of learners in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Consistent high-quality teaching and the delivery of learning programmes.
• Improved and sustained regular attendance of learners and reduced chronic absence.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.

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

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

• In consultation with the school's Māori community, the Board must develop and make known to the school's community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students
  [Sections 127(1)(d) Education and Training Act, 2020]
• The board must undertake checks for persons it employs or engages as paid children’s workers: identity confirmation by checking an original primary document and a secondary identity document; criminal convictions by obtaining and considering vetting information from New Zealand Police.
  [Sections 25, 26 and 27, Children’s Act, 2014; Regulations 5 – 8 of the Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations, 2015]

The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO will initiate conversations with the Ministry of Education about support and intervention. ERO recommendations to the Ministry of Education will be outlined in the confirmed report to bring about the following improvements:

• development and implementation of policies and procedures
• management of complaints
• leadership and governance.

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

26 September 2025