Rototuna Primary School

Waikato

Rototuna Primary School ERO Report

Education Review Office reviews for Rototuna Primary School in Waikato, New Zealand.

Review 14 May 2025

Latest

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. 

About the School 

Rototuna Primary School provides education for learners in Years 1-6. There are 735 students on the roll​. Students who identify as Asian make up the largest proportion of all learners at 48 percent. 38 percent of learners identify as European and Pākehā, and 14 percent identify as Māori. The school’s vision is ‘Kia Manawanui – Be Strong of Heart’.  

Part A: Parent Summary 

How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing? 

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 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 Safety ​The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.​ 

Achievement in Years 0 to 8 

This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Foundation Skills 

 
Reading 

​Most​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​becoming more equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Writing 

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

Results are ​becoming more equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Mathematics 

​Most​ learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. 

Results are ​equitable​ for all groups of learners. 

Attendance 

The school is ​approaching​ the target of 80% regular attendance. 

The school ​has a suitable plan in place​ to improve attendance. 

Regular attendance ​is​ improving towards or beyond the target. 

Chronic absence ​is​ reducing over time. 

Assessment 

​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 

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.  

An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
 

Part B: Findings for the school 

This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. 

Areas of Strength 

​Learners have a strong sense of belonging, wellbeing and pride in their school; they experience a positive and inclusive learning environment that supports their interests and cultures. 

​School leaders provide cohesive, focused leadership that increasingly strengthens school conditions to support student success and wellbeing. Strategic planning ensures a clear direction for priorities and targets to improve student outcomes. 

​The school has embedded the curriculum to increase student engagement, providing authentic and meaningful learning opportunities linked to local contexts and connecting with iwi

​Leaders and teachers have integrated a structured approach to literacy schoolwide; the implementation of structured mathematics is a focus for 2025. 

​A strong culture of inquiry is evident. Leaders use good quality data to inform strategic decision making, ensuring that professional development effectively builds teacher capability and aligns with the goals of the school. 

​Teachers work collaboratively and regularly use achievement information and evidence to inform teaching and monitor the impact of their practice.​ 

Key priorities and actions for improvement  

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • monitor strategies to sustain and further improve regular attendance
  • refine the school’s best practice approaches to teaching and learning to align with the new curriculum and assessment developments
  • embed structured mathematics approaches schoolwide, continuing to build teacher knowledge and practice to enhance and improve achievement outcomes for all learners. 

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows. 

Every six months: 

  • review school attendance for trends and patterns and adjust the attendance plan as required
  • review the alignment of teaching and learning approaches in mathematics with the new curriculum and assessment developments, identifying next steps to meet learner needs 

Annually: 

  • evaluate the impact of strategies used to further improve students’ regular attendance and report to the board, collaborating on next steps
  • evaluate progress with embedding structured teaching approaches in mathematics to identify ongoing staff professional development and resourcing
  • further inquire into student achievement information for all groups of learners to ensure planning for accelerated progress and achievement. 

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in: 

  • sustained and improved regular student attendance
  • equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics
  • effective high quality teaching practices in mathematics embedded schoolwide. 

Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements 

Provision for International Students  

Background 

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories 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. 

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 was ​one ​international student attending the school.  

The school has good systems and processes in place for monitoring the wellbeing and progress of international students. Students are actively included in the school community and have the opportunity to participate in a range of learning experiences.  

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements 

All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. 

During this review the Board has attested to some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas: 

Board Administration 

​Yes​ 

Curriculum 

​Yes​ 

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare 

​Yes​ 

Personnel Management 

​Yes​ 

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within three 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 (Acting) 

​14 May 2025​ 

Education Counts 

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

Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →

ERO report information is sourced from the Education Review Office.