Waitaki Valley 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.

About the School 

Waitaki Valley School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. It is located in the rural town of Kurow in North Otago. The school’s roll is 106. The majority of learners are Pākehā, Māori learners comprise 16% of the roll.   The school’s Mission is: Our Place – To Belong, To Learn, To Achieve; Tōu Mātou Tūrangawaewae – Ki te ako, Ki te tutuki.

Part A – Parent Summary

Progress since July 2022 ERO report

ERO and the school evaluated the extent that changes in the approaches to teaching reading, writing and mathematics lead to:

• accelerated achievement for target learners
• equity and excellence for all learners

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that a small majority of target learners experienced accelerated achievement and that achievement outcomes had improved for most learners across the school. 

How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?

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 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 0 to 8

This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Foundation Skills

 Reading

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. 

Writing

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.

The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.

Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.

Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time. 

Assessment

The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.

Assessment information is used well to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.

Progress

The school has 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.

An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office

Part B - Findings for the school

This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.

Areas of Strength

Most learners progress well to achieve academic success across the curriculum. Learners with particular needs are identified and well supported.

Teachers and leaders create an affirming learning environment and learners state that they enjoy being at school.

School leadership successfully focuses on creating a positive learning environment for all with an emphasis on partnering with the community to support learner wellbeing, progress and achievement.

Teachers prioritise learner achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Learners experience a broad curriculum and extensive use of local resources and the community to create rich local learning opportunities.

Well-considered staff professional development is focused on the school’s strategic goals to enhance all learners’ wellbeing, progress and achievement. There is a specific emphasis on growing staff capacity in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. 

Staff collaborate well and use clear processes for self-reflection and professional growth to improve their teaching to lift learner outcomes.

Key priorities and actions for improvement 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• sustain the effectiveness of reading, writing and mathematics programmes when updating the school’s curriculum in line with national curriculum developments
• further develop the use of local resources in the curriculum so learners and their families see their own and the community’s identities reflected
• partner with the community to review the school’s present strategies to improve and sustain regular attendance
• advance effective teaching, learning and assessment practices, particularly for target learners, to ensure learners’ active engagement and progress in their learning.

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

Within six months:

• partner with the community to refine the school’s attendance plan and strategies

Every six months:

• report to the board and community on learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics and respond to identified learning needs and trends
• review the impact of local learning opportunities on learner achievement and report on this to the board and community
• review the effectiveness of the school-community attendance plan and report on this to the board and the community
• review the home-school partnership to know the extent to which whānau-family are active participants in school life and their children’s learning

Annually:

• evaluate the impact of teaching, learning and assessment practices on students’ wellbeing, progress and achievement and use this to inform next steps
• develop the school’s use of local resources in the curriculum, aligning with national curriculum changes and maintaining relevant local learning opportunities
• analyse and report on attendance, engagement, progress and achievement data to inform strategic and annual planning and set improvement targets 

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

• consistent use of high-quality assessment information to identify the next learning steps for each learner to improve achievement
• a strongly engaging curriculum using local learning opportunities extending learner engagement and achievement
• improved learner engagement and equity in achievement
• increased regular attendance for learners identified as being at risk of not meeting the Government’s attendance targets.

Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

During this review the Board has attested to some 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 area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• The school needs to check an original primary identity document and a secondary identity document, required for safety checking of workforce [Sections 25 to 27 Children’s Act 2024: Safety checks of children’s workers; Regulations 5 to 8 Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015]. 

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

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 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

Education Counts

This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home