Allenton School

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 24 September 2025 — “School Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.

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.

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

Allenton School is located in Ashburton and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The current school roll is 420. New Zealand European/ Pākehā students make up the largest proportion of learners (49%). Learners who identify as Māori represent 12% of the roll, 13% are of Pacific heritage and 26% are of Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American or African descent. A high proportion of students (31%) have English as a second language. The school’s values are Aroha , Self-managing, Always Thinking, Communicating and Effort.

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 August 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Progress since August 2022 ERO report

Since the 2022 ERO Report, the school and ERO have worked together to evaluate how well the local curriculum supported the achievement, social and emotional outcomes for students and ensured equity and excellence in learning.

The school expected to see stronger partnerships and enhanced curriculum provision resulting in improved outcomes for groups of students, including Māori and Pacific students.

Findings

Achievement in reading has improved, the majority of students now meet or exceed curriculum expectations. There has been improvement in achievement equity, for Pacific students in reading, writing, and mathematics and for boys in reading. Further progress is still needed for Māori students in reading and mathematics, boys in writing, and girls in mathematics.

Targeted programmes and initiatives support students at risk of not achieving, leading to accelerated progress for some. Ongoing, schoolwide professional learning in structured literacy has strengthened teachers’ collective knowledge and improved their delivery of reading and writing instruction.

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.

How well are learners succeeding? The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.

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 sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is an increasingly 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 reasonably 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 is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress. The school is improving its collection and use 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 section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.

Less than a third Less than half Small majority Large majority Most Almost all

0 to 33% 34 to 49% 50 to 65% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%

Reading A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing A large 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

This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.

The large majority of student attend school regularly.

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

This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.

The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.

Teachers are developing their use of assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.

Progress

This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.

The school is developing 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 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

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 outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.

Areas of Strength

Learner’s experience inclusive learning environments that promote participation and respectful teacher-learner relationships.

Teachers collaborate to design and deliver learning that reflects and includes students’ languages, cultures and identities.

Teachers follow comprehensive curriculum guidelines, resulting in consistent and cohesive practices that support learner engagement.

Leaders and teachers have established partnerships with the community to inform improvement priorities and are strengthening relationships with whānau, hapū, iwi and Pacific communities.

The School Board and leadership make purposeful decisions, supported by effective resourcing and strategic planning focused on improvement.

Leaders set clear targets and align professional development to build teacher capability and improve learner outcomes.

Key priorities

Embed structured mathematics and literacy practices.

Raise achievement and reduce disparities between learner groups.

Evaluate and expand strategies that increase regular student attendance.

Strengthen responsive teaching and learning approaches to enhance engagement and achievement for all learners.

Actions to bring about improvement

Every six months:

leaders report to the Board on student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, showing the impact of planned actions and responses to emerging trends

leaders and teachers review strategies and monitor progress toward improving regular attendance and learner outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics

leaders and teachers evaluate responsive practices and identify areas for development, with a focus on recognising and valuing the school’s cultural diversity

Annually:

leaders and the School Board analyse student attendance, progress and achievement data to inform improvement priorities, plan next steps and share with the community

leaders and teachers evaluate responsive teaching approaches and initiatives to understand their impact on learner engagement, progress and achievement.

Expected outcomes

Structured and consistent literacy and mathematics teaching practices across the school.

Improved achievement and greater equity of outcomes across learner groups.

Improved rates of regular attendance.

Responsive teaching practices that reflect and integrate the school’s cultural diversity, resulting in increased student engagement, progress and achievement.

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meet regulatory and legislative requirements.

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.

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

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

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 September 2025

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →