Wainuiomata High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background 

This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and ​Wainuiomata High School​ working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz 

Context  

Wainuiomata High School is a medium sized, co-educational Years 9 to 13 secondary school located in Wainuiomata, a suburb of Lower Hutt City. The school is currently undergoing a significant building development, with the final stage due for completion in 2025.  

​​Wainuiomata High School​’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are: 

• raising student achievement so that all students leave with a relevant pathway or qualification 

• creating equity in achievement of all students 

• developing a culture of physical and emotional wellbeing that encompasses the school’s values of manaakitanga, honesty, respect, achievement and perseverance. 

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on ​Wainuiomata High School​’s website. 

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the conditions present within the school enable more effective use of self-review to inform progress.  

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:  

• the impacts of interrupted learning for students in 2020-22 and the subsequent effect on attendance and achievement for some students 

• progress made with ‘conditions for learning’ through development of effective teaching 

• a need to foster a sense of identity, pride and belonging reflective of students, staff, community and the Wharekura in line with the new physical environment. 

The school expects to see students leaving Wainuiomata High School with improved engagement and outcomes showing that students feel valued and prepared for the world outside of school.  

Strengths  

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to deliver equitable outcomes for students. 

• An Effective Teacher Profile and Professional Growth Cycle, in which teachers focus on using evidence-based strategies to inform teaching interactions.  

• Conditions in place within the school to continue to embed restorative practices and positive relationships based on high expectations and the belief that all students can achieve. 

• Targeted interventions in place within the school showing early signs of success in addressing outcomes for literacy and numeracy. 

Where to next? 

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:  

• exploration of priority areas that are impacting rates of progress and attendance 

• plan for and implement strategies to improve outcomes based on these findings 

• formalise a robust cycle of evaluation and collaborative review to inform improvement 

• strengthen identity, pride and belonging through a responsive and localised integrated curriculum. 

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.  

​​Shelley Booysen​ 
​​Director of Schools​ 

​​28 August 2023​ 

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home 

The school has a Wharekura where 73 students learn from a Te Ao Māori worldview and whānau environment.   

The school also has an alternative learning school (Rangatahi Alternative Learning Centre) which caters for 16 students.