Murupara Area 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 

Murupara Area School is a state integrated area school in the village of Murupara, Bay of Plenty, providing education for learners from Years 1 to 13. The roll is 182 and almost all learners identify as Māori. The school sits within the rohe of local iwi Ngāti Manawa who have an enduring relationship with the school to guide and support teachers and learners on tikanga and kawa of the area. 

The school’s vision is Kia ū te manawanui ō ngā ākonga ki ngā taumata tiketike ō ngā whetu - With perseverance our children will reach to the stars. The vision is underpinned by the schoolwide values of Integrity, Respect and Aroha.

A Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) has been working with the school Board and staff since May 2025 to bring about improvements in curriculum management, policies and procedures, property, finance and human resource management. A second LSM was appointed in November 2025 to bring about further improvements in employment and finance.

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 November 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

The school worked on evaluating the extent to which leaders and staff develop coherent learning pathways that respond to students’ learning needs, and in ways that enhance learners’ identity as Māori.

Expected Improvements and Findings 

The school expected to see greater numbers of students attending regularly, engaged in learning, and making accelerated progress, particularly those learners who are at risk of not achieving.

Overall, the school has made limited progress in these areas.

More specifically, ERO found that while schoolwide learning progression frameworks in literacy and mathematics are established, there is limited evidence to demonstrate that coherent learning pathways are being used effectively to respond to students’ identified learning needs. Further consistency in implementation, monitoring and review is required. 

The school works closely with Te Whakaruruhau Rōpu, a collective of local kaumatua and kuia who represent Ngāti Manawa marae. Over the past two years, this partnership has supported noho wānanga and authentic learning experiences at marae across the rohe. Students are developing stronger connections to local history and Ngāti Manawa tikanga and kawa. These experiences positively influence students’ sense of identity as Māori.

Student voice and ownership of their learning was greater for students in Years 11 to 13. Students could articulate their next steps towards achievement and mastery of subject matter including pathways towards career options. Students in the primary area of the school were less able to talk about their current learning.

What we know about learner success

This section provides a summary of learner success, wellbeing and foundation school conditions, including any education in Rumaki/Reo Rua settings. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

Learner success and wellbeing 

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• 2024 end of year achievement information shows that less than half of learners in Years 1 to 8 achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Less than a third of Year 9 and 10 learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and numeracy.
• A small majority of learners achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1. Most learners achieve NCEA Level 2 and less than half of learners achieve NCEA Level 3. No learners have achieved University Entrance (UE) since 2022.
• Less than a third of students regularly attend school and the school is behind the Government’s target of 80%. Improving student attendance and reducing chronic absences remain an urgent priority.

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Leaders are beginning to build organisational conditions that promote strategic improvement and raise levels of student attendance, engagement and achievement.
• Leaders have developed a schoolwide strategic and annual implementation plan. The urgent priority is consistent implementation of this plan, supported by clear measures and monitoring to evaluate progress and impact.
• The school’s culture does not yet consistently reflect:
  • high expectations for all students and staff
  • a shared commitment to high quality, evidence-informed teaching
  • equity and excellence in learner outcomes.

• Most students experience settled environments that support learning.
• Leaders and teachers are at the early stages of:
  • collecting and using reliable achievement information to know about the strengths and needs of students and adjusting teaching practices to cater for these
  • using a range of evidence-based strategies to engage students in learning
  • delivering a coordinated and cohesive curriculum that emphasises the foundational skills of literacy and mathematics.

• Leaders and teachers are taking steps to provide an inclusive environment. The next step is to better identify, track and monitor those students not making expected progress for their curriculum level to enable the provision of high-quality learning support.
• The school Board and leaders should implement a cohesive and planned approach to school improvement, informed by quality evidence and robust internal evaluation, taking urgent action to ensure an emotionally safe learning and working environment.
• The school is taking some steps to improve students’ engagement and belonging. Partnerships with mana whenua are strengthened through the collective development of goals for Māori learners to achieve educational success as Māori.

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 identifies key priorities and actions for improvement.

Key priorities 

• Implement strategies and initiatives to improve all students’ regular attendance.
• Further develop and implement the school curriculum, integrating the new literacy and mathematics requirements schoolwide to accelerate progress and achievement for all students.
• Strengthen schoolwide teaching, learning and assessment and ensure consistency of approaches and effective use of student achievement information to inform ongoing planning and teaching.
• Strengthen health and safety practices to improve wellbeing for all students.

Actions to bring about improvement 

Within three months:

• leaders and teachers set clear targets and implement actions to improve students’ regular attendance
• leaders and teachers embed professional development to ensure consistency of practice when planning and implementing literacy and mathematics programmes
• leaders and teachers identify all students at risk of not achieving at the expected curriculum levels for literacy and mathematics and create targeted action plans to accelerate progress
• leaders and teachers implement recommendations from student wellbeing surveys undertaken

Every six months:

• leaders monitor and review actions to increase regular attendance, identifying next steps
• leaders and teachers regularly check and improve how they teach by gathering feedback and examining student assessment results to support high quality practice
• teachers regularly track and monitor students requiring acceleration and adjust and adapt teaching to meet their needs
• leaders and teachers monitor and review the effectiveness of actions taken to improve wellbeing for all students 

Annually:

• leaders and the Board evaluate the effectiveness of school improvement actions, including reviewing student attendance, progress and achievement information, to inform ongoing strategic decision making
• leaders review and report to the Board on rates of progress for students at risk of not achieving at the expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics and determine next steps for improved outcomes
• leaders report to the Board on student wellbeing data, the impact of actions taken and the next steps to improve outcomes for all learners.

Expected outcomes 

• Improved attendance and achievement outcomes for all students.
• Quality teaching, effective assessment practices and student support systems that raise learner outcomes.
• Strengthened school Board and leadership capability, with a clear understanding of progress, informed decision making, and continuous improvement towards achieving strategic goals.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education maintain ongoing support from the Limited Statutory Managers to effectively address the areas for improvement identified in this report.

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

2 December 2025