Amesbury 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 

Amesbury School provides education for students from Year 1 to 6. The school’s vision is for every child to experience what it means to be fully human, to continually fulfil their potential and to live better in and for the world. 

The school roll is 30% Pākehā | New Zealand European learners, 6% of learners identify as Māori and 7% of Pacific heritage Pacific learners. Students who identify as Asian make up the largest proportion of all learners at 59%. 

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

Expected improvements

The school focused on strengthening teacher responsiveness to student needs, improve learning outcomes for all, and ensure a personalised approach to curriculum design for priority learners.

Findings 

The school has made steady progress toward identified priorities including developing teacher capability and refining learning design to better meet individual learner needs. Leaders and teachers work collaboratively to plan units of work and use student voice to inform this process. This has led to improved engagement and attendance, particularly among priority learners.  

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.

How well are learners succeeding?Success and progress for all learners is increasing.What is the quality of teaching and learning?Learners benefit from high quality teaching practice that improves progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs?

Learners have rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

There is a consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational skills in literacy and mathematics.

Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.

How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement?School planning and conditions to support ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing?The school successfully promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners?

The school reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress.

The school responds well to a wide range of information gathered through community consultation, to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Student Health and SafetyThe school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.

Achievement in Years 0 to 6

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.

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%

Reading

Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

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 is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
• Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.

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 to some extent improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
• The school has to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
• The school is making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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

• Leaders and teachers know their students well. They use robust systems to identify, monitor, and tailor support for students with additional or complex needs. Additional staffing, targeted programmes, and interventions improve outcomes.
• Leaders drive improvement through strategic planning and targeted initiatives. They foster a collaborative culture that helps teachers adapt their practice and raise achievement.
• Structured literacy is embedded across the school, and a structured mathematics programme is being carefully considered for full implementation in 2025.
• Clear guidelines and expectations support teaching. New teachers receive ongoing mentoring from school leaders. Leaders provide professional learning and coaching to build consistent practice and meet diverse learning needs.
• School Board members carry out their roles effectively. Information reported to the Board is used to ensure resources meet the needs of learners and staff.

Key priorities

• Refine and embed the refreshed English and mathematics curriculum.
• Continue to build teacher capability to meet the needs of learners with additional and complex needs.
• Accelerate progress and extend learning for all students through targeted teaching.
• Improve regular attendance to meet the Government target.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within six months:

• leaders work with teachers to review the mathematics curriculum and provide professional learning to strengthen understanding and delivery of the refreshed curriculum

Every six months:

• leaders coach teachers to ensure consistent and effective teaching for students with additional and complex needs
• teachers track progress in reading, writing, and mathematics against achievement targets to evaluate strategies for accelerating learning
• leaders and teachers analyse attendance data to assess the impact of school actions toward meeting the Government’s attendance target

Annually:

• teachers share analysis of their impact on accelerating progress for identified learners in reading, writing, and mathematics to inform future planning
• the school Board and leaders review outcomes from improvement plans and variance reports in reading, writing, mathematics, and attendance to guide next steps.

Expected outcomes

• Curriculum guidelines clearly outline how literacy and mathematics are taught, supporting consistent practice across classrooms.
• High-quality teaching in literacy and mathematics lifts achievement and promotes equity for priority learners.
• Neurodiverse students’ learning needs are increasingly met, leading to sustained, equitable, and excellent achievement.
• Attendance levels meet or exceed the Government’s target for regular attendance.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.

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

Provision for International Students 

This section is about the quality of the provision of education for international students enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were 2 international students attending the school, and no exchange students. 

Amesbury School’s process for annual self-review supports successful provision for international students. The school effectively responds to learner needs and provides pastoral care for students, enabling them to participate fully in learning and the life of the school.

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

1 December 2025