Westlake Boys High School

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

Westlake Boys High School, located in Forrest Hill, Auckland, provides education for students in Years 9 to 13, guided by the motto Virtute Experiamur, ‘Let courage be thy test’. The school offers Māori-medium education immersion and bilingual learning through Te Whānau o Te Puna. A new Headmaster was appointed in Term 1 2025.

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

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.

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%

Learner Success and Wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

Most learners experience consistently high levels of success and wellbeing.

• Achievement information over time shows that almost all students achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Levels 2 and 3.
• Most students achieve University Entrance (UE); improving equity for Māori and Pacific achievement in UE has been identified as a priority.
• Most students in Years 9 and 10 are at or above expected curriculum levels; the school has yet to achieve equity for Māori and Pacific learners.
• Students report a strong sense of belonging and benefit from an inclusive and mutually respectful school community.
• A large majority of students attend school regularly; the school is progressing towards the Government’s attendance targets.

Conditions to support learner success

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

School leadership works strategically with clear purpose to sustain successful outcomes for learners.

• Leaders set and relentlessly pursue coherent, student-centred improvement goals that align with the school’s high expectations for learner success.
• Leaders use robust data collection and analysis processes to evaluate initiatives, informing continuous improvement and strengthening learner outcomes and wellbeing.
• School leaders attract, retain and develop high-performing teaching teams focused on achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

Students benefit from consistently high-quality teaching.

• Students experience well-structured environments; consistent teaching, purposeful planning, and high expectations foster strong engagement and sustained progress.
• Teachers and leaders use well-established tracking systems to monitor engagement and strengthen learning partnerships, ensuring learners access rich, meaningful learning experiences.
• Teachers and leaders are taking deliberate steps to integrate mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori more consistently throughout the curriculum to enhance learning opportunities.

School systems and processes are coherent, consistently communicated, and clearly understood supporting positive learner outcomes. 

• Teachers engage in purposeful, well-aligned professional learning; consistent collaborative practice supports high-quality teaching across the school.
• The school’s values and high expectations are clearly understood by students and the wider community, and are consistently embedded in the school’s culture, routines, and systems.
• The school board actively represents the community, using comprehensive reporting and data to guide well-informed decisions that strengthen leadership, resourcing, and student success.
• School leaders actively seek student, whānau and community feedback to informing strategic planning and implement initiatives and approaches that meet student needs and aspirations.

Rumaki/Reo Rua Outcomes and Conditions to Support Learner Success 

Learner success and wellbeing

• Almost all Year 9 ākonga in Te Puna are achieving at or above the expected curriculum level in te reo matatini, and a large majority of Year 10 ākonga are meeting the expected curriculum level. Less than a third of Year 9, and less than half of Year 10 ākonga are achieving at or above the expected curriculum level for pāngarau.
• Achievement rates for 2024 Year 11 Elevate Courses show that almost all ākonga achieved Te Ao Haka and Rūmaki Reo. A small majority of Year 11 to 13 ākonga have achieved the numeracy and literacy co-requisite standards for NCEA.
• The kura is improving towards the target of regular attendance. Te Puna is engaging with whānau to address issues impacting poor attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

• Kaiako integrate culturally responsive teaching practices that strengthen learner identity and support ākonga in their learning of Te reo Māori, Tikanga ā-Iwi, and Te Ao Haka.
• Targeted interventions, with a focus on te reo matatini and pāngarau are essential to accelerate progress and achievement for ākonga.
• Whānau-centred relationships, initiatives and developing pathways within Te Puna support ākonga to be champions of te reo Māori and to stand proud in their identity as Māori.

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.

Key priorities

• Strengthen and sustain initiatives that increase regular student attendance.
• Implement and embed targeted strategies to improve equity for Māori and Pacific students.
• Improve achievement in Year 11 te reo matatini and Years 9 to 11 pāngarau for ākonga in Te Puna.
• Continue the development and integration of Te Whānau o Te Puna to enhance Māori-medium education.

Actions to bring about improvement

Every six months:

• leaders monitor, review, report and refine school initiatives to further improve regular attendance
• leaders and teacher collect and analyse UE and NCEA endorsement data for Māori and Pacific learners to track progress and improve outcomes
• leaders and teachers evaluate the impact of targeted strategies to increase equity in Year 9 and 10 literacy and mathematics outcomes
• leaders and teachers review plans and interventions to strengthen te reo matatini and pāngarau achievement in Te Puna; refine strategies, and allocate resourcing to more effectively support ākonga progress

Annually:

• leaders and the School Board review student attendance, engagement and achievement information to evaluate the impact of initiatives and interventions and inform strategic planning and future improvements to achieve equitable outcomes
• the School Board and leaders review strategic development of Te Whānau o Te Puna to enable its integration, planning and resourcing to enhance the provision and improve the impact of Māori-medium education.

Expected outcomes 

• Sustained increases in regular attendance in relation to the Government’s target.
• Increasing numbers of Māori and Pacific learners achieve University Entrance and Merit and Excellence endorsements in NCEA.
• Improved achievement outcomes across te reo matatini and pāngarau for all ākonga in Te Puna.
• Te Whānau o Te Puna is embedded in strategic planning and resourcing to improve Māori learner outcomes.

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

9 September 2025