Alfriston College

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

Alfriston College is a co-educational secondary school for learners in Years 9 to 13 located in Manurewa, South Auckland. The school roll is 1245 and 30% of students identify as Māori, 39% of Pacific heritage, 33% Asian and 13% identify as NZ European / Pākehā. The school values are Whakapapa (connection), Tu Maia (confidence), Ahuatanga (character), Mātau (competence).

A new principal was appointed in 2024. 

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

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.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

• The large majority of students enter the school working below curriculum level expectations. Less than a third of students in Years 9 and 10 achieve at expected curriculum levels in reading and mathematics.
• In 2024, the small majority of students achieved National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Level 2 and Level 3; less than a third of students achieved NCEA Level 1 and University Entrance (UE).
• Māori student achievement at NCEA Level 2 inequitable. The school is working to raise Māori and Pacific students’ achievement at NCEA Level 1 and University Entrance, as well as Pacific students' achievement at NCEA Level 3.
• Students with additional needs are yet to make sufficient progress to meet curriculum expectations in their learning. A large proportion of students require additional support.
• Student feedback shows that they have a strong sense of belonging and participate in school life. They experience a supportive environment and are confident to ask for help.
• The small majority of students attend school regularly. Regular attendance is improving, and chronic absence is reducing.  

Conditions to support learner success

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

• Leadership is strengthening relational trust and effective collaboration across the school community to achieve the strategic improvement goals.
• School leaders build educationally focused relationships with other education providers and community groups to support learning opportunities for students’ success.
• Leadership use evidence to plan and monitor aspects of the school’s strategic priorities and check how well strategies to improve learning outcomes are working.

• The curriculum builds upon learners’ prior experiences, knowledge, and understanding. The school is beginning to provide more meaningful learning opportunities.
• A focus on supporting learners to gain sound foundational skills, including literacy and mathematics is strengthening and is a priority.
• Teachers are beginning to create an orderly learning environments in which learning time is mostly maximised, and learners are supported to engage in new learning.

• Leaders and teachers value the cultural backgrounds of their learners and demonstrate this throughout school’s programmes, initiatives, and practices.
• Teachers engage in relevant professional learning to improve students’ engagement in learning.
• Relationships between students and staff are based on relational trust that supports collaboration and improvement.
• The school Board is strengthening how it scrutinises learner data and evaluative information to identify strategic improvement priorities, plan and make appropriate resourcing decisions. 

Key priorities 

• Improve achievement outcomes for all students.
• Embed effective teaching and learning strategies across the school.
• Closely track and monitor student progress and achievement.
• Embed the revised junior curriculum to better engage students in their learning.
• Improve students’ regular attendance. 

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

• leaders provide opportunities for staff to strengthen their knowledge of effective literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and planning and assessment processes
• leaders and teachers implement attendance initiatives to students’ regular attendance 

Within six months:

• leaders work with teachers to ensure the use of effective literacy and numeracy teaching strategies, and effective planning, assessment, and monitoring processes are established schoolwide
• teachers embed effective teaching approaches that enhance curriculum delivery in ways that actively engages students in their learning
• leaders and teachers monitor and respond to attendance information and adjust actions for improvement as needed 

Every six months: 

• leaders review how well teachers are implementing effective literacy and numeracy strategies, planning and assessment and identify areas for further improvement
• teachers review their student’s progress and achievement, plan further interventions and respond as needed for improvement 

Annually:

• leaders and teachers review the effectiveness of teaching strategies in engaging students in learning, identify areas for further improvement and adjust approaches for continued development
• the school Board and leaders evaluate the impact of the junior curriculum in engaging students in learning and improving outcomes and identify priorities for improvement
• the school Board and leaders evaluate the success of attendance initiatives to improve students’ regular attendance and plan next steps. 

Expected outcomes 

• Improved students’ achievement outcomes.
• Achievement data for all students and groups of students guides teaching and learning.
• Effective teaching and learning strategies are consistently embedded schoolwide.
• The junior curriculum is embedded, promotes student success and engagement in learning.
• Increasing numbers of students regularly attend school. 

Recommendation 

Alfriston College have made improvements to student attendance and the curriculum. As a next step to bring about sustained improvement ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider requiring specialist help as listed in section 171(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020 to continue to bring about the improvement in the following:

• raising student achievement particularly in Years 9 and 10
• further improving regular attendance
• improving the quality of teaching. 

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

24 October 2025