Manurewa High 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.

Context 

Manurewa High School, a large multi-cultural coeducational secondary school in South Auckland, provides education for learners in Years 9 to 13. The school vision statement is ’Piki atu ki te rangi, aim high, strive for excellence’. The school values are ‘Respect, Excellence, Whanaungatanga and Akoranga’. The school roll comprises 51% Pacific, 33% Māori and 13% Asian students.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Current State 

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

The majority of students progress and achieve well, particularly in the senior school.

• The majority of students achieve National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 with almost all gaining Level 1 literacy and most numeracy.
• The large majority of students achieve well in NCEA Levels 2 and 3; although less than half of Year 13 achieve University Entrance, a steady increase in attainment over the past three years is evident, with a significant rise in 2024. This increase includes for Māori and Pacific learners. 
• The majority of Year 9 students are at or above the expected curriculum level in literacy and numeracy; although less than half of Year 10 are at or above in literacy, the majority are working at or above in numeracy. A next step for the school is to improve assessment practices for consistency of this data across all learning areas.
• Students demonstrate a strong sense of belonging, well supported through the school’s indigenous educational framework (Te Ara o Taawhaki) that is grounded in hauora.
• The school is well below the Government’s target for attendance; incremental improvement in regular attendance is evident in 2024 compared to the previous year and chronic absences are decreasing. 

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership for equity, in an environment where cultural responsiveness is well embedded (culturally sustaining), is highly evident.

• School conditions that support learner success are embedded; leaders provide clear guidance for all aspects of school life, through Te Ara o Taawhaki, a well-defined and understood educational framework, that encompasses indigenous perspectives.
• Strategic direction, including Te Tiriti led leadership, is decided collaboratively with the school community; intentions for enhanced learner outcomes and hauora are clearly outlined, actioned and monitored for effectiveness.
• The school has purposefully developed relationships with other educational providers, such as vocational pathways programmes, to enhance opportunities for students to gain work experience and qualifications within and beyond the school.

Curriculum design is creative, encompassing the many different learners, their cultures, needs and interests. 

• An innovative curriculum and timetable, designed to increase student engagement, progress and achievement, is positively impacting on learner outcomes and reflected in a steady improvement in NCEA attainment.
• The learning environment features mana enhancing and respectful relationships between teachers and students; high standards and consistent teaching practices across the school are evident and learners are engaged. 
• Reflected in the curriculum is the strong commitment to equity in outcomes for all students, as aspired to by the community and to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and mātauranga Māori. 

The school has well-aligned systems, structures and processes with focus on equitable, improved learner outcomes. 

• Leaders and teachers use data well to closely track and monitor student progress and achievement; this analysed data is used to inform decision-making and monitor student achievement and outcomes.
• Engagement with whānau, aiga and iwi is positive and valued; the school provides numerous opportunities for whānau, aiga and the community to affirm and celebrate learning through the many cultures that comprise the school.
• Staff professional development aligns with the intentions of the strategic plan, fostering a unified ethos and culture, and raising the awareness of teachers regarding culturally sustaining practices.
• The board provides effective governance and is representative of the school community, students, and mana whenua; the community is actively involved in deciding the school’s direction. 

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

• embed the school’s attendance strategy and specific actions, that are in line with the strength-based community and hauora focus; regularly monitor the effectiveness of actions in increasing rates of attendance
• as outlined in the school’s strategic plan, continue to improve teacher capability in junior assessment practices, so the data is accurate and reliably informs teaching
• as outlined in the school’s strategic plan, continue to embed culturally sustaining teaching practices (those that recognise and respond to learners’ cultures) across the school.

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

Within six months 

• examine the effectiveness of current attendance strategies, that includes partnership with parents, whānau and community, and adjust accordingly
• review and make necessary changes to assessment practices in the junior school, supported by targeted professional learning

Every six months:

• monitor the impact of strategies and initiatives to raise attendance and continue to adjust these as needed
• evaluate the extent to which assessment practices in the junior school result in accurate data and used to inform teaching practice
• monitor the extent to which culturally sustaining teaching practices are embedding, meeting targets in the strategic plan and having an impact on learner outcomes

Annually:

• evidence-based evaluation and reporting to the board and community about the impact of key initiatives on students’ attendance, engagement, progress and achievement to inform future planning and actions.  

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

• improved attendance, engagement and achievement for all learners
• accurate, consistently used junior progress and achievement data that informs teaching; overall progress and achievement in the junior school continues to improve
• consistently applied, culturally sustaining teaching practices that contribute to improved student engagement and achievement. 

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) 

8 April 2025

About the School

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