Henderson 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 

Henderson High School is in West Auckland and provides education for learners in Years 9 to 13. The school’s vision to empower students with the knowledge to succeed and change their world for the better is linked to the values of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Kaitiakitanga and Kotahitanga. 

A new principal and two senior leaders were appointed in Term 4 2024 and at the beginning of 2025.

The school hosts the teen parent unit He Wero o nga Wahine which serves the wider north-west Auckland community. 

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

Expected Improvements

The school evaluated how well a targeted focus on literacy leads to excellent and equitable outcomes for all students. School leaders and staff expected to see continued improvement in students’ progress and achievement at all levels in line with targets set in the annual plan.

Findings

Literacy is tracked across subjects and targeted interventions include literacy preparedness programmes and tutorials, supported learning and accelerated English literature classes offered at Level 1. Preparation for Common Assessment Activities (CAA) is targeted, with learners identified for support or acceleration.

During the course of the evaluation teachers effectively monitored learners’ progress in literacy and including those identified as needing to make accelerated progress. School-wide literacy assessment data shows progress in foundational literacy skills across the school.

What we know about learner success

This is a summary of learner success, which guides the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• A large majority of Years 9 and 10 learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level in mathematics and a small majority in literacy; results are becoming more equitable for all learners.
• In 2024 most learners achieved the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) Levels 2 and 3 and a large majority achieved Level 1. A small majority achieved University Entrance (UE).
• There are equitable outcomes for Māori and Pacific learners in NCEA Levels 1 to 3; the school has identified further improving equity for Māori and Pacific learners in UE as a priority.
• A small majority of learners attend school regularly. The school is behind the government target for regular attendance and continues to work with parents and the community to remove barriers to attendance for all learners.

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Senior leaders set and pursue clear, relevant improvement goals and foster a culture committed to high quality teaching and equity and excellence in learner outcomes.
• Leaders have established an explicit, evidence-based teaching framework to support effective teaching practice.
• School leaders value the culturally diverse backgrounds of their learners and develop initiatives that support the wellbeing of all learners.

• Learners benefit from learning in calm, orderly environments supported by clear expectations, routines and explicit teaching.
• Teachers provide diverse, meaningful learning experiences that promote learner engagement and support progress across learning areas.
• Teachers engage in relevant professional learning that is clearly aligned to the school’s strategic goals and strengthens their use of effective teaching approaches to improve outcomes for all learners.

• Leaders and teachers use data effectively to track and monitor learner progress and achievement; this analysed data is used to inform decision-making and monitor learner achievement outcomes.
• The Board represents the school community, actively scrutinises the performance of the school, makes evidence-informed decisions to support improved outcomes and has sound processes to be assured it meets its legal and regulatory obligations.

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

• Raise student achievement further by increasing NCEA endorsements, University Entrance and Scholarships, and by supporting equitable access to future pathways.
• Embed explicit, evidence-based teaching practices to further strengthen literacy, numeracy, and a knowledge-rich curriculum.
• Integrate curriculum and assessment changes in ways that are deliberate, responsive, and contextually relevant.
• Maintain a strategic focus on improving attendance through refined, data-informed strategies that promote sustained learner engagement.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Every six months:

• teachers and leaders systematically collect and analyse learner progress and achievement information to inform next steps in teaching and learning, and report to the Board, parents and families / whānau
• leaders provide ongoing staff professional learning to enhance schoolwide teaching, learning and assessment practices
• teachers and leaders review the outcomes of attendance initiatives to identify ongoing planning and actions

Annually:

• the Board and leaders review the impact of teaching, learning and assessment practices on learners’ progress and achievement; identifying initiatives that have been most successful to guide strategic planning and resourcing
• leaders monitor the integration of new curriculum and assessment requirements, and identify future priorities for professional learning opportunities
• leaders and the Board evaluate the impact of strategies on raising regular attendance and plan for ongoing improvement.

Expected outcomes 

• Sustained and high levels of academic achievement for all learners to access their chosen pathways beyond school.
• Consistent high-quality teaching and learning approaches that provide learners with a sound foundational knowledge of literacy and numeracy to access learning and succeed in all areas of the curriculum.
• Well integrated curriculum and assessment changes aligned to mandated government priorities.
• Improved levels of attendance that meet or exceed the government’s target.

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

25 September 2025