Waiwera South 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 

Waiwera South School provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The current school roll is 30. A majority of learners identify as Pākehā / New Zealand European, 17% identify as Māori and smaller group from other ethnic backgrounds. The school’s vision is to Nurture, Inspire, Grow. The values – Respect, responsibility, Honesty, Ora.

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 July 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school prioritised ensuring that all students have equitable opportunities to learn and succeed and those students who need to, make accelerated progress in literacy.

Findings 

A sustained focus is evident on strengthening teaching practice and embedding structured literacy approaches in teaching. Evidence-informed practices across all levels of the school show outcomes for students in reading and writing continue to improve over time. Disparity between groups of students is reducing with a significant improvement in outcomes for boys in writing. 

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.

Achievement in 1 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.

Attendance

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

• The large majority of learners attend school regularly.
• The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
• The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
• Chronic absence is 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.
• Assessment information is used well 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 for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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

• Learner’s experience caring, supportive and inclusive learning environments created by teachers who know the students well and foster their participation and engagement. Outcomes for learners are high and continue to improve.
• Teachers and leaders have established strong community partnerships that guide the school’s vision and values and inform improvement priorities. 
• The school effectively works in partnerships with external support agencies and the local community to enhance the wellbeing and engagement of students and their whānau.
• A collaborative staff and leadership team prioritise and plan for school improvement, with a consistent focus on equity of outcomes for priority learners.
• Structured approaches to literacy and mathematics are prioritised, with teachers and leaders continually enhancing their knowledge and capacity through ongoing professional development.

Key priorities

• Embed and strengthen structured approaches to literacy and mathematics to increase equity between groups of students.
• Enhance and embed new assessment practices to inform next steps in learning and strategic priorities.
• Evaluate and expand strategies that improve regular student attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Every six months:

• leaders report to the Waiwera South School Board on student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, including groups of students, to show the impact of planned actions and planing to response to emerging trends  
• teachers and leaders use evidence to review how well school initiatives are helping improve student attendance and outcomes 
• the school Board and leaders review attendance strategies and progress towards improving regular rates of attendance, and use this information to identify next steps

Annually:

• the school Board, in consultation with the community, uses student attendance, progress and achievement information to set strategic priorities and guide resourcing decisions 
• leaders, teachers and the School Board evaluate teaching approaches to understand their impact on learner engagement and outcomes and use these insights to inform future improvement priorities.

Expected outcomes

• Structured and consistent literacy and mathematics teaching.
• Assessment practices lead to improved achievement and greater equity of outcomes across learner groups. 
• Improved rates of regular attendance 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

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

9 April 2026