Review 22 January 2026
LatestSchool Education Review Report
1 Purpose
This review evaluates Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura) against the following key priorities:
- The quality of education and outcomes for learners enrolled through the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway.
- The effectiveness of the Leaving to Learn | He Whai Taumaru and Structured Literacy programmes.
- Progress against ERO’s 2021 report recommendations, including the impact of additional or phased funding for at-risk learners.
- Compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
The scope of this review included core teaching and learning practices that support distance learning, and delivery of a curriculum which responds to the needs of learners in the primary and secondary schooling system. Learners’ and teachers’ use of digital platforms was evaluated to understand the impact on achievement and progress.
2 Background
In 2021, ERO’s Chief Review Officer undertook a review of Te Kura as part of the regular cycle of evaluating the quality of schooling in New Zealand.
The 2021 evaluation aimed to:
- Provide evaluative information to the board and the public about the quality of education provision offered by Te Kura, including equity of access and outcomes for learners.
- Identify opportunities, strengths, and challenges for the school in its operation within the wider education system.
The 2021 review found that:
- Governance and leadership were strong, with alignment to national education priorities and a clear improvement focus.
- Te Kura offered a personalised, culturally responsive curriculum and had made gains in learner engagement and National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) achievement. Digital platforms supported flexible learning, though disparities in literacy and numeracy achievement persisted.
- The role of Te Kura had evolved significantly, from serving geographically isolated learners to supporting a growing number of at-risk and disengaged learners, many of whom were Māori. Full-time enrolments had increased substantially, with 72% of enrolments referred by the Ministry of Education or Oranga Tamariki.
- Funding and learning support settings were outdated and inequitable, limiting access to specialist services compared to face-to-face schools and failing to reflect the high needs of Te Kura roll. This resulted in:
- Constraints in the level of targeted additional learning support available for learners with high social, educational, and health needs.
- Policy and system settings that did not adequately reflect the changing composition of the roll or the learning needs of its learners.
ERO recommended that Te Kura:
- Ensure models of teaching and learning were manageable and sustainable to meet new curriculum delivery expectations, provide tailored responses to individual learners, and continue embedding te ao Māori across the school.
- Increase support and opportunities for teachers’ involvement in curriculum, pedagogy, and digital development.
- Deepen evaluation of engagement and achievement data to determine the impact of teaching and learning approaches on improving learner outcomes.
- Strengthen partnerships with the Ministry of Education, including formalising referral protocols.
3 Current Context
Te Kura is New Zealand’s largest state school, delivering distance education to learners, young adults, and adults through digital platforms and some face-to-face learning. In 2024, enrolments exceeded 30,000, with around 16,000 learners enrolled at any one time. High turnover and learner transience are defining features, as many learners engage for short periods or move in and out of enrolment due to complex circumstances. This dynamic environment, combined with anticipated future growth, creates significant challenges for continuity of learning and support.
The vision for learners is to help them achieve their educational and personal goals, enabling them to contribute effectively to their communities. This vision shapes programmes that place learners at the centre of learning, offering flexible, personalised options that allow learners to choose when and where they learn.
Te Kura operates across seven regions with 17 regional offices nationwide, including Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Hamilton, Hastings, Invercargill, Masterton, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Queenstown, Wellington, Wairoa, and Whāngarei. The school also offers Te Aka Taumatua, a bilingual and immersion pathway, to learners across the country.
The roll is diverse, including geographically isolated learners, itinerant learners, those located overseas, and learners enrolled in regional health or specialist schools. The majority are secondary school-aged, including young adults aged 16 to 19. Te Kura also supports a large number of dual-enrolled learners from primary and secondary schools across the country, with partnership agreements providing curriculum support and adaptation based on learner needs.
The number of learners referred to Te Kura has nearly doubled since 2021 to over 7,000 in 2025. The Ministry of Education manages referrals for this pathway.
A significant proportion of full-time learners are referred by the Ministry of Education or Oranga Tamariki, often after exclusion from face-to-face schooling and/or where previous educational settings have not met their needs. This reflects the critical role Te Kura holds as a provider for some of the most vulnerable learners in the system.
Te Kura also provides education in alternative settings such as teen parent units and activity centres, alongside short-term enrolment opportunities through its Summer School Programme, which has grown significantly each year.
The Engagement and Wellbeing gateway serves learners who have disengaged from school or are at risk of becoming disengaged, including those who are non-enrolled, excluded, expelled, or whose psychological or psychosocial needs were not previously met.
Learners engage through a mix of online and face-to-face learning. Group sessions (Huinga Ako), event days, and tutorials connect learners with their learning advisors (kaimanaaki), teachers (kaiako), and peers. These approaches aim to reduce isolation and strengthen engagement, but variability in access and participation remains a challenge for some learners.
4 2025 Special Review Findings
4.1 Learner Outcomes and Wellbeing
4.1.1 All Learners
Flexible delivery models continue to provide opportunities for learners who might otherwise struggle to access education. Many learners report that the ability to learn at their own pace and in a familiar environment reduces anxiety and supports engagement. Digital platforms and personalised learning plans enable learners to tailor their learning to individual goals, and the mix of online and face-to-face options offers additional pathways of connection.
While these strengths provide a solid foundation, efforts must continue to ensure achievement outcomes are consistently improved across the entire cohort.
Progress toward formal qualifications is limited for a significant proportion of learners. In 2024, a small majority of school leavers achieved NCEA Level 1 or above, leaving nearly half of leavers without any qualification. Persistent gaps in literacy and numeracy, combined with variability in teaching quality and access to specialist subject expertise, continue to constrain achievement.
For many learners, aspirations for higher-level qualifications are not matched by progress, and the absence of comprehensive summative data makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies.
Te Kura defines engagement as submitted work, activity on the My Te Kura platform, teacher check-ins, and participation in Huinga Ako sessions. Whilst these engagement indicators suggest that most learners maintain some level of participation, these measures do not consistently reflect meaningful involvement in learning. While many learners value the flexibility of Te Kura model, teachers note that online learning can limit opportunities for collaboration and hands-on experiences. This is particularly challenging for learners who require additional support to develop routines and resilience. Variability in expectations and monitoring practices across regions further complicates efforts to achieve consistency.
Current expectations for engagement are low, and teachers report variability in expectations across regions. Although a small majority of learners from the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway indicate greater participation than in previous schools, engagement data may overstate actual involvement, with some learners logging into sessions without active contribution. This inconsistency makes it difficult to identify learners who require targeted support.
The wellbeing focus is a clear strength of Te Kura approach. Dedicated pastoral roles and regular one-on-one check-ins are highly valued by learners and their families, contributing to improved confidence and re-engagement. However, inconsistent analysis of wellbeing survey data limits the ability to generate meaningful insights into learner wellbeing and knowing the impact strategies and support have on improving outcomes. Declining survey participation further reduces the reliability of this data. Without more robust systems for monitoring wellbeing and linking it to academic progress, there is a risk that learners’ educational needs will remain secondary to engagement and pastoral priorities.
Stronger systems for tracking achievement alongside engagement and wellbeing are needed; there is a risk that educational priorities may be overshadowed by pastoral concerns.
Impact on learners: While Te Kura model offers flexibility and re-engagement opportunities for many learners, inconsistent achievement tracking and variability in teaching quality mean that progress toward qualifications remains uncertain. Strengthening systems for monitoring academic outcomes and ensuring equitable access to high-quality teaching will be critical to improving long-term learner success.
4.1.2 Engagement and Wellbeing Gateway Cohort
Te Kura is re-engaging learners who have experienced prolonged disengagement through flexible online delivery and pastoral support. This approach has helped many reconnect with education, offering the comfort of studying from home and the ability to tailor schedules to individual circumstances.
Progress has been made, yet some persistent challenges remain.
Most learners entering through the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway aspire to achieve NCEA qualifications, yet attainment falls well short of these goals. Among Year 13 learners in this cohort, six in ten currently have no qualification, and less than half have achieved Level 1. Persistent barriers such as low literacy and numeracy skills, combined with the complexity of navigating NCEA requirements, continue to limit progress. While some learners gain credits through vocational courses, few learners successfully reach Level 2 or 3.
Some learners identified that they struggle with the lack of structure and motivation in online learning, and others reported feeling socially isolated.
Teachers report that online learning works best for self-motivated learners with strong home support. However, learners in the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway often need additional help to build routines and resilience.
Engagement and wellbeing for this cohort is reflective of findings above for all learners.
Impact on learners: While the model provided by Te Kura has enabled many learners to re-enter education, the low expectations that underpin engagement measures alongside limited academic progress tracking means that aspirations are unmonitored. This has long-term implications for learners’ future pathways and opportunities.
4.2 Governance and Stewardship
The school board provides a clear strategic foundation for improvement, they prioritise equity, engagement and wellbeing. The board actively represents the education community and mana whenua. The 2023–2025 strategic plan is reflective of ERO’s 2021 recommendations, and the board has taken steps to evaluate its own performance.
While progress has been made, there are still opportunities to improve.
Schoolwide engagement, wellbeing, and achievement data are not consistently used to inform strategic priorities, limiting the board’s ability to evaluate the impact of initiatives. While the board receives some reporting on learner outcomes, this information is not sufficiently detailed or timely to support robust accountability. Decisions risk being reactive rather than evidence based without deeper analysis of progress and achievement data.
The board needs to ensure that they receive and engage in sufficient assurance that the school is meeting required regulatory and legislative requirements.
Impact on learners: Limited use of comprehensive progress and achievement data reduce confidence that improvement efforts will consistently translate into better outcomes for learners.
4.3 Leadership
Senior leadership has articulated a clear vision for high-quality, future-focused teaching and learning. Leaders actively engage in partnerships to broaden opportunities for learners and promote parent and whānau involvement in decision-making. Professional development is increasingly aligned with school priorities, supporting staff capability in curriculum and digital delivery.
Leadership requires strengthening. The inconsistent visibility and communication of strategic initiatives contribute to fragmented practice and uneven staff confidence. Frequent leadership changes at the regional level and gaps in information-sharing during enrolment and transitions further limit consistency. Teachers report that benchmarks for wellbeing, engagement, and achievement do not always reflect genuine progress, and the practical application of the school’s vision is uneven.
Impact on learners: A clear strategic intent is evident, but there is not a cohesive picture of progress and achievement school wide. This reduces the ability for leadership to understand the impact and success of initiatives on learner outcomes.
4.4 Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning approaches are increasingly responsive to diverse learner needs. However, core teaching quality is inconsistent, and explicit instruction is not embedded across the school, limiting progress and equity for learners.
Digital platforms enable personalised programmes, and staff access ongoing professional learning and development (PLD) to strengthen curriculum delivery.
Te ao Māori is embedded across the curriculum with staff actively engaging in professional development to extend confidence and capability in integrating te ao Māori into their teaching. The introduction of Ngā Huanga Mātauranga Māori framework has established clear expectations for responsive teaching practices. Increasing numbers of Māori learners are participating in Te Aka Taumatua, the school’s bilingual pathway, reflecting a growing commitment to bicultural education.
Huinga Ako sessions are designed as collaborative spaces that foster social connections. They also provide opportunities for face-to-face interaction with peers and teachers, which can be especially valuable for students who need more intensive pastoral/wellbeing support. However, balancing wellbeing with academic priorities remains challenging.
Teachers personalise learning plans to reflect individual goals and interests, offer tailored feedback, and connect content to real-life contexts when possible.
The online model offers flexibility but limits opportunities for collaboration and hands-on learning, especially for senior learners. Teachers report difficulty grouping learners due to variable progress, and some families seek external career guidance because of limited access to dedicated advisors.
Impact on learners: While personalised learning is evident, inconsistent quality teaching and limited expectations for progress and academic attainment risks not meeting the learning needs of all learners.
4.5 Curriculum
Te Kura delivers a diverse and adaptable curriculum that includes NCEA subjects, vocational pathways, and extracurricular activities, enabling learners to shape their learning around individual interests and aspirations. Learners benefit from the flexibility to progress at their own pace and create personalised plans with guidance from support staff. Many find the online environment reduces anxiety and overstimulation compared to traditional schooling, fostering conditions more conducive to learning. Digital platforms also allow for customisation and prompt feedback, contributing to a more individualized experience. In-person group sessions increasingly provide opportunities for social engagement, goal setting, career planning, and local excursions.
While these strengths are evident, there are areas requiring further development around inconsistent provision to support essential literacy and numeracy skills.
Secondary learners often select subjects independently, which means some miss out on direct instruction in key foundational learning areas. Teachers surveyed acknowledge that targeted support is necessary for those starting with lower skill levels, yet fewer than half provide reading, writing, or mathematics instruction three or more times per week, increasing the risk of learning gaps. Teachers also highlight shortcomings in course structure, limited access to educators with specialist knowledge, and some resources that are outdated, lack interactivity, or are poorly adapted for online delivery. The absence of practical resources such as science kits or art supplies further restricts opportunities for hands-on learning. Personalisation varies; some learners receive generic resources that do not meet their needs, and academically able learners often find content less challenging than at previous schools.
Impact on learners: Flexibility supports autonomy and engagement, yet inconsistent delivery of core skills and specialist expertise risks widening achievement gaps. Improved resource design, consistent teaching of core subjects, and greater access to specialist teachers is essential so that flexibility does not come at the expense of foundational learning and future success.
4.6 Programme Effectiveness
4.6.1 Leaving to Learn | He Whai Taumaru
The Leaving to Learn | He Whai Taumaru programme offers authentic, real-world learning from Years 1-13 designed to strengthen learner engagement, community connection, and wellbeing. It reflects the school’s vision by tailoring experiences to individual needs and interests and fostering partnerships that help learners become confident and actively involved in their education. Learners participate in workplace shadowing, internships, and education outside the classroom to explore career pathways and build social confidence. Activities are woven into personalised learning plans and include cultural events, leadership roles, and collaboration with iwi and community organisations. Leadership and evaluation processes support ongoing improvement, ensuring the programme remains responsive and relevant.
Learners, parents and whānau consistently value opportunities for workplace experience and interaction with occupational experts. These experiences build social skills, deepen engagement, and create meaningful community connections, with the shadowing component highlighted as a particular strength. For learners in Years 11 to 13, the programme enables exploration of personal interests and career directions. Its effectiveness depends on guiding next steps for learners leaving Te Kura, informing learning plans for further study or training, and maintaining consistent quality and delivery across regions.
Many learners entering through the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway faced disrupted learning prior to enrolling: a large majority experienced chronic absenteeism, over half accrued unjustified absences, and a third experienced suspension, exclusion, or stand downs. Two thirds of learners entering Leaving to Learn via the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway, leave school during the year or before Year 11. This early disengagement limits access to the programme’s benefits and underscores the need for targeted support and intervention for learners.
Impact on learners: The programme delivers valuable real-world experiences that promote confidence and broaden pathways for senior learners. Yet its reach is constrained by early disengagement, reducing long-term impact.
4.6.2 Structured Literacy Programme
Te Kura has recently introduced a structured literacy approach for learners in Years 1–3. Teaching demonstrates a clear sequence of sound and word building for reading and writing, supported by a suitable range of Blended Literacy Learning (BLL) resources for supervisors and learners. Kaiako of Year 1-3 employ varied strategies to meet the requirement of one hour per day for reading and writing and use standardised assessment tools to measure individual progress.
The programme is still in its early stages and requires further development.
Implementation beyond Years 1-3 is needed to support continuity of learning, and stronger monitoring systems are essential to identify successes and inform priorities for improvement.
Learners’ progress and achievement data has not been collated or analysed for external review, and summative learner progress information is unavailable, making it difficult to evaluate the programme’s impact on learner success. Additional support for kaiako is necessary to support consistency in planning, teaching, and assessment across the BLL programme.
Te Kura has identified key priorities for the remainder of 2025, including embedding assessment practices, tracking learner progress, using data to inform planning, and reviewing programme impact to guide improvements for the next cycle.
Impact on learners: The structured literacy programme has a limited scope; lack of leadership evaluation hinders understanding of effectiveness and strategic planning. Without robust data and consistent implementation, the potential benefits for learners cannot yet be fully realised.
4.7 Digital Capability
Te Kura has strengthened digital systems and staff capability. The My Te Kura platform supports personalised learning, and PLD opportunities have improved teacher confidence. Learners report increased competence in using technology, and teachers benefit from user guides, online training, improved communication tools, and regional champions that build digital capability.
Digital access and literacy remain barriers for some learners, parents and whānau, particularly in rural areas. These inequities limit engagement and progress for learners without reliable internet connectivity or devices. Supervisors, who play a critical role in supporting learning, often feel underprepared to navigate digital tools and curriculum pathways, highlighting the need for targeted training and dedicated forums to share strategies.
While digital systems have improved, some online resources remain outdated, non-interactive, and poorly adapted for online delivery. Without ongoing investment in connectivity, devices, and digital literacy support, these gaps risk widening inequities and undermining the personalised learning model of Te Kura.
Impact on learners: Enhanced digital capability supports flexible learning and improves confidence in technology use, but persistent access gaps and uneven resource quality risk reducing the effectiveness of online delivery and limiting academic achievement.
4.8 Transition and Enrolment
Many learners experience delays before starting at Te Kura, with nearly half experiencing gaps of two months or more between leaving their previous school and starting at Te Kura. Once enrolled, Te Kura provides comprehensive support for learners and their families, including home visits, assistance with technology, and relationship-building. The large majority of learners in the Engagement and Welbeing cohort report that starting at Te Kura is easy, and nearly all work with teachers to create a learning plan. Staff confirm that they help almost all new learners settle successfully.
Some learners struggle to access transition support because they lack devices, reliable internet, or digital skills. Those in rural areas face additional challenges attending in-person events due to transport issues. These barriers can slow engagement and limit participation.
Background information about learners, such as progress, achievement, disability status and behaviour, is not consistently received in a timely manner. This limits staff’s ability to provide tailored support and slows onboarding.
Partnerships between Te Kura and the Ministry of Education are becoming more useful and deliberate at a strategic level. Te Kura is in the process of training regional Ministry of Education personnel to use their onboarding system. This national tool is not yet consistently used. The Ministry of Education manages referrals for some pathways; responsibilities for sharing information between agencies, previous schools and Te Kura are not always clear. ERO heard from Te Kura staff that there is considerable variability in information-sharing practices during referral, both between regional offices and across regions, which contributes to delays and inconsistency. Leaders are working to address these issues by collecting key information directly from learners, parents and whānau during onboarding.
Te Kura offers career pathway courses and programmes such as Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR), Trades Academies, and Gateway work placements, but access varies by region. The Leaving to Learn programme helps older learners (Years 11-13) explore career options; however, in the Engagement and Wellbeing gateway, over a third leave school before reaching Year 11 and miss out on these opportunities.
Exit planning is limited. After learners leave Te Kura, there is minimal tracking of their next steps, and only a small number of staff provide follow-up support. Because many learners move schools frequently, Te Kura lacks visibility of long-term outcomes. Developing systems to monitor post-transition success and provide more structured exit support would help improve continuity and learner outcomes.
Impact on learners: While onboarding processes are generally effective and well-supported, delays in enrolment, inconsistent information-sharing, and limited exit planning reduce the ability to provide timely, tailored support and risk leaving learners without clear pathways beyond Te Kura.
4.9 Partnerships with Parents and Whānau
Parent and whānau engagement is strong during onboarding, with families valuing technical support and involvement in learning plans. Parents and whānau play a key role in creating productive home learning environments by minimising distractions, ensuring access to equipment, and assisting with learning tasks. Many families report that their involvement with Te Kura has contributed to improvements in learners’ confidence, self-esteem, academic progress, and future opportunities.
The Ministry of Education identifies a supervisor as part of the referral process. Support for supervisors is inconsistent, particularly in rural areas where access to guidance and resources is limited. Supervisors often feel underprepared, especially regarding curriculum pathways, NCEA requirements, and digital tools. Clearer guidance and opportunities for peer connection - such as dedicated Huinga Ako sessions - would strengthen this role.
Although Te Kura continues to offer avenues for parent and whānau engagement, such as involvement in learning plan development and participation in Huinga Ako, engagement tends to decline over time, especially for families of senior learners.
Impact on learners: Supervisors are critical to learner success. When support is inconsistent or engagement declines, learners face barriers to progress, reduced confidence, and missed opportunities for achievement. Strengthening support for supervisors and sustaining parent and whānau involvement is likely to improve learner outcomes.
4.10 Additional Funding for At Risk Learners
Te Kura has received phased funding (from the 2022 budget bid) for at risk learners. As a result, Te Kura has:
- invested in the recruitment of additional teachers, kaiawhina, and counsellors to respond more readily to learner need
- provided more ‘Education Outside the Classroom’ opportunities for learners
- enabled more learners to access devices
- invested in the development of its onboarding tool for faster enrolment and decreased transition time.
Te Kura reports increased engagement and participation in online learning and huinga ako for some learners because of additional staffing. Evidence also suggests that learners value face-to-face learning opportunities; however, current engagement strategies such as huinga ako are offered too infrequently, do not sufficiently focus on learning and are not consistently available for all learners. This raises questions about how Te Kura can better balance digital and face-to-face approaches to drive deeper learner engagement and progress.
Going forward, it would be useful for the Ministry of Education and Te Kura to agree on a learner outcomes framework, to be used as part of regular reporting to the Ministry of Education, to inform both Te Kura and the Ministry of Education about the impact of additional funding for at-risk learners.
Impact on learners: Additional funding is now in place to support improved engagement, but without robust evaluation going forward, its effectiveness in raising achievement remains unclear. Limited face-to-face opportunities may also constrain the depth of engagement for some learners.
4.11 Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
All schools are required to promote learner health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
During this review, the board has attested to compliance with some 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 areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
- the board should ensure that police vets of non-teaching and unregistered employees are obtained before appointment to positions, and re vetted every three years
[Section 104, Education and Training Act 2020] - every safety check of a person must comply with the requirements for safety checks for core or non-core workers, including periodic safety checks every three years.
[Section 27 (1) and 31(1) Children’s Act 2014]
The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
5 Recommendations
Te Kura has made progress in several areas since the 2021 review, but further improvement is needed to achieve equitable outcomes for all learners. The following recommendations reflect priorities identified through this special review:
1. Ensure sufficient data is gathered, analysed, and used to drive decision-making, and effective evaluation. This should include:
- setting high expectations for meaningful learner engagement for participation in learning
- establishing clear processes that link learner engagement, achievement, and wellbeing to strategic priorities
- developing explicit expectations for learning plans to include measurable goals for learner engagement, achievement, and wellbeing, supported by consistent monitoring
- creating robust systems for monitoring learner progress and achievement
- designing an outcome framework that strengthens governance and leadership understanding of the impact of interventions and programmes on learner progress and achievement.
2. Improve the learning experience across all programmes by addressing variability in teaching quality and engagement. Key areas to prioritise include:
- developing consistently high-quality teaching practice
- tailoring teaching approaches to better reflect learners’ backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations
- extend structured literacy across all year levels, with clear measures to evaluate its effectiveness and impact on learner outcomes
- providing equitable access to digital platforms and learning opportunities
- extending digital literacy support for learners, parents and whānau
- Improve the quality and interactivity of online resources, and ensure practical components are integrated to support hands-on learning.
3. Strengthen parent, whānau and supervisor support by providing consistent guidance, resources, and training and creating opportunities for peer connection. Develop a clear transition-out strategy for learners, with pathways that support successful progression beyond the school environment.
4. Improve leadership consistency and accountability, ensuring leaders use data effectively to inform priorities and demonstrate progress.
5. Strengthen governance by improving oversight of leadership and school performance and addressing non-compliances.
6. Work with the Ministry of Education to ensure referral processes and information-sharing protocols are applied consistently and systemically to reduce onboarding delays.
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
22 January 2026