Arrowtown 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 

Arrowtown School is located in the Queenstown-Lakes region and provides education for students from Years 1 to 8. The school’s current roll is 451. 78% of students are Pākehā/New Zealand European, 9% identify as Māori, 3% as Pacific, 7% as Asian and 3% as Middle Eastern, Latin American and African. 

Drawing on the region’s gold mining history, the school’s mission is to deliver the gold standard of primary school education in Aotearoa / New Zealand.

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

Expected improvements

The school focused on evaluating the expansion of the school’s graduate profile, which outlines key learner qualities aimed at improving outcomes for students. The graduate profile is designed to ensure learners are well prepared for the transition to secondary school.

Findings 

The school worked with the local secondary school to define academic dispositions and competencies that are critical for success in Years 7 and 8. The school significantly broadened its Year 7 and 8 programme. The school maintain a strong emphasis on reading, writing, and mathematics, while also increasing opportunities for learner choice and incorporating community-based learning activities. These initiatives provide diverse contexts for students to develop the graduate profile qualities of being confident, connected, and adaptive. Students are able to evidence their secondary school readiness through reflecting on their progress in the school’s learner qualities, as well as their progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. 

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 Years 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 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 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

This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.

• The school has good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
• The school has significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school has significantly extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is meeting Government reading; writing and mathematics targets set for 2030.

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 benefit from an inclusive school culture built on strong school values.
• Teachers work together to deliver effective, purposeful programmes building sound foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics, supported by consistent, structured teaching approaches across all year levels.
• The school’s localised curriculum offers rich learning opportunities, drawing on connections with its community, environment and heritage.
• Community consultation informs key priorities, including the school’s focus on progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Staff professional development is strategically implemented to support ongoing improvement, with teachers encouraged to be reflective, responsive and adaptive in their practice.
• The school Board provides effective governance, resourcing strategic priorities that enhance learning conditions for all students.

Key priorities

• Further integrate the revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) requirements for reading, writing and mathematics to extend and sustain high levels of progress and achievement for all learners.
• Further develop reporting to the school community on learner progress and achievement.
• Increase and maintain regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders and teachers implement planning tools aligned with the curriculum to ensure consistent and accurate application of reading, writing and mathematics requirements across the school
• leaders and teachers further develop their understandings of assessment and reporting requirements for reading, writing and mathematics to improve outcomes for learners
• leaders review current attendance strategies to ensure consistent practices are in place across the school to improve regular attendance

Every six months:

• leaders and teachers monitor the use of curriculum planning tools and the integration of requirements for reading, writing and mathematics, ensuring teachers have access to relevant professional learning opportunities to refine their practice
• leaders and teachers review and seek feedback on reporting to improve parent and whānau understandings about progress and achievement and to increase parent and whānau involvement in their children’s learning
• leaders review attendance trends, evaluate the impact of current initiatives and adjust approaches as needed

Annually:

• leaders evaluate the impact of curriculum initiatives on learner outcomes and identify steps to further improve progress and achievement
• leaders evaluate reporting practices and use findings to further improve communication with parents and whānau about learning, progress and achievement
• leaders evaluate annual attendance outcomes and use this information to plan next steps to increase regular attendance rates.

Expected outcomes

• Consistently high rates of progress and achievement for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Improved reporting and communication about student learning, progress and achievement to support partnerships with parents/whānau.
• Regular attendance meets the Government target of 80%.

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 area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• risk management procedures for school trips/education outside the classroom
  [Health and Safety at Work Act 2015].

The Arrowtown School Board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.

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

5 February 2026