Blue Mountain 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. 

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  

​​Blue Mountain College​ is a small, rural college providing education for students in Years 7 to 13 located in Tapanui, West Otago. The school’s vision is to unlock each students’ lifetime potential through the provision of a broad, individualised curriculum that supports personal success. A new principal was appointed at the beginning of 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 

Improvement and progress  

This section is about the progress the school has made since the October 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.  

Expected improvements  

The school has been working to improve the effectiveness of the Years 9 and 10 curriculum on raising junior student engagement and achievement. 

The school expected to see a middle school curriculum that is responsive to the needs and interests of students; collaborative exploration of local curriculum opportunities by staff and sustained high levels of student engagement and achievement in the middle school.  

Findings 

Key developments over this time have included the trialling of integrated learning programmes, strengthened opportunities to learn about and through Te Ao Māori, expansion of the school’s agricultural learning programmes to junior levels and development of collaborative teaching opportunities.  

The school is in the process of evaluating the impact of these developments on student outcomes and developing planning for more systematic implementation of new approaches to junior learning programmes. 

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 64% 

65 to 79% 

80 to 90% 

Over 90% 

Learner Success and Wellbeing  

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. 

Most learners are well supported to achieve success in learning and transition successfully to work and further learning.             

• A large majority of Year 7 and 8 students meet curriculum expectations in reading and mathematics. Fewer than half meet expectations in writing. Some learner groups experience disparities in achievement.
• Most Year 9 and 10 students meet expectations in mathematics, and a majority meet expectations in reading and writing. Disparities remain for some learner groups.
• School systems do not yet support reporting on progress over time for junior learners.
• Almost all school leavers achieve the National Certificate in Education Level 1; most achieve Level 2 and close to half achieve Level 3; there is disparity for some groups of learners at Level 3 and University Entrance; most learners are supported to have success in the literacy and numeracy requirements for national qualifications.
• Almost all school leavers are supported to make a positive transition to work or further tertiary study.
• A small majority of learners attend school regularly. This is behind the Government target for 80% of learners attending school regularly. The school has appropriate plans to work with the community to improve this. 

Conditions to support learner success 

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

Leadership is developing the conditions to support and sustain effective teaching and learning and ongoing school improvement. 

• Leaders build relational trust and collaboration across all levels of the school community to achieve the strategic vision and improvement goals.
• Leadership strengthens organisational conditions, such as policies, systems, processes, and practices to support school operations, a positive learning environment, and ongoing improvement.
• Leadership plan and coordinate the school’s curriculum and teaching, expectations for teaching quality are clearly communicated and actively promoted.  

The curriculum and teaching increasingly respond to the diverse interests, strengths and aspirations of learners.                            

• Learners value the wide range of opportunities to explore and develop their interests and strengths in study, sport, culture, and the arts.
• Teachers increasingly collaborate to design and deliver learning programmes that reflect students’ needs and aspirations. Students needing extra support are identified and provided with relevant and increasingly effective help to learn and progress.
• Teaching practice varies across the school. Leaders are strengthening systems that promote consistent, high-quality teaching across the school.
• School systems for collecting, analysing, and reporting on learning information should be reviewed and updated to better provide relevant data for the Board, leaders, teachers, and parents on how to support improved outcomes for students.  

Strong partnerships with the local community are well used to enhance learner wellbeing, learning and transitions.                       

• Teachers make effective use of partnerships with local employers and community groups to enrich learning and support students’ pathways to work and further study.
• The Board is strengthening how it gathers and uses student and community voice to guide strategic planning.
• Productive partnerships with other schools and community support agencies are used well to promote student engagement, wellbeing, and learning outcomes.
• There are strengthened connections with community initiatives that affirm and value the languages and cultures of learners’ families. 

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. 

Key priorities  

• Strengthen the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of key school improvement strategies.
• Develop a clear framework for effective teaching and learning.
• Strengthen systems and practices to support consistent, high-quality teaching.
• Review the school’s information management systems to ensure leaders, teachers, parents, students, and the Board have the data they need to improve wellbeing, engagement, and achievement.
• Implement a revised junior curriculum that promotes student choice, engagement, and achievement.
• Improve regular attendance and maximise students’ opportunities for educational success. 

Actions to bring about improvement  

Within three months: 

• leaders develop a framework for effective teaching and design the processes to promote effective practices across the college
• leaders review information management needs and develop implementation planning for the college’s new information management system, including professional learning for staff
• leaders develop planning for implementation of junior curriculum 

Every six months: 

• leaders and Board review progress in school improvement priorities, including attendance against plans and intended outcomes and identify next steps 

Annually: 

• leaders, together with teachers, draw on a range of evidence and learning information to evaluate the impact of school improvement priorities on learner engagement, achievement and attendance
• the school Board review and evaluate the impact of the school’s improvement priorities on students’ outcomes, identify areas for improvement to inform strategic goals, targets and actions for the coming year. 

Expected outcomes  

• More focused and effective implementation of school improvement priorities.
• Consistent high quality teaching practice across the college.
• Board, leaders and teachers use a range of learning information well to know about the effectiveness of teaching and learning programmes on improving student outcomes.
• Improved regular attendance and increased engagement and achievement of junior students. 

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  

​​29 October 2025​