Porangahau 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.

About the School 

Porangahau School is a rural school in Central Hawke’s Bay and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school vision is ‘Pōrangahau tamariki will be resilient and innovative individuals who embrace challenges’. The school roll is currently 39. Māori learners make up 65% of the school roll.

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 good 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 sufficient 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?The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.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 should improve its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.

Student Health and SafetyThe school needs to ensure a physically and emotionally safe learning environment.

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

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

Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics

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

Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.

The school is yet to have a suitable plan 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.

Teachers are developing assessment information 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here: Guide to ERO school reports

 

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

Staff have high expectations for student success. Students requiring additional support with learning are identified and receive targeted support focused on literacy and numeracy. Students’ sense of wellbeing and belonging is evident.

Implementing structured literacy and numeracy approaches are progressing well and continue as a priority for all staff; students are taught the required hours per day in reading, writing and mathematics.

School leadership is developing evidence-based evaluation of teacher effectiveness and using data to inform decision making; completion of reviews and follow through, based on information collected including that gathered from whānau and parents, is a next step. 

Key priorities and actions for improvement 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• make better use of the professional growth cycle so teachers focus on strategies for equitable outcomes for Māori learners in writing and mathematics
• continue to be deliberate about implementing English and mathematics curriculum changes to ensure consistency across the school
• continue to strengthen the use of te reo Māori throughout the school curriculum
• enhance and build on whānau and community partnerships and respond to their input to set priorities for their children in curriculum development and strategic direction
• have a clearly planned attendance strategy with specific actions, that are regularly monitored for effectiveness in increasing rates of attendance. 

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

Within six months

• continue to use ongoing professional conversations to focus on Māori students’ progress and achievement in reading and writing
• have in place a stepped-out attendance action plan with measurable outcomes
• work with parents about how they would like to be involved in their child’s learning and assist their understanding about the importance of regular attendance

Every six months:

• review and report to the board on progress against the attendance plan actions and improvements to students’ regular attendance
• evaluate the success of identified strategies expected to accelerate the progress of Māori learners in writing and mathematics and identify further action required
• report on the progress made in implementing changes in the English and mathematics curriculum, the use of te reo Māori in the curriculum and use this information to inform next steps
• encourage the involvement of the community in school curriculum and strategic direction developments and respond to their views

Annually:

• analyse and report schoolwide attendance and achievement data for all groups of learners to the board; strategically plan actions with the community to improve attendance, progress and achievement
• review and report to the board on the progress made towards equitable outcomes for Māori learners.

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

• all students attending school regularly
• improved achievement for all students and equitable outcomes for Māori learners
• English and mathematics curriculum changes well embedded in school teaching programmes
• increased community input about school direction and its curriculum.

Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

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

Actions for Compliance 

ERO and the board have identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• safety checking of Children’s workers, and periodic rechecking of existing children’s workers which includes police vetting.
  [Children’s Act 2014]

The board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.

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 Evaluation 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)

4 April 2025

Education Counts

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