Central Southland College

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 30 October 2025 — “School Evaluation Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.

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

Central Southland College is a co-educational Year 9 to 13 secondary school located in Winton. The school’s current roll is 682. 60% of learners identify as Pākehā | New Zealand European, 20% as Māori and 17% as Asian. The school’s vision to develop students who are engaged, confident in learning, strong in relationships and connected in the community .

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.

Expected Improvements

The school expected to an increase in student engagement and ownership of learning through curriculum redesign, strengthened student mentorship and the tracking of learning progress through the development of the pastoral support system.

Findings

A shift to a student-centred learning environment is resulting in increased student participation and enthusiasm for learning. Year 9 to 11 learning programmes offer greater choice and flexibility, leading to increased student engagement.

Greater whānau involvement and a strong pastoral support system are promoting shared responsibility and positive relationships among students, families, and teachers, leading to improved student engagement and progress.

Regular monitoring of student wellbeing and progress enables prompt support to help students achieve their best. Integrating pastoral and curriculum efforts is enhancing outcomes, with students being provided with more relevant and engaging learning.

What we know about learner success

This section provides a summary of student success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

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

0 to 33% 34 to 49% 50 to 64% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%

Learner success and wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

Outcomes for students are increasingly equitable.

Most students achieve the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) standards in literacy and mathematics in either Year 10 or 11. There are equitable achievement outcomes for Māori students.

Achievement in reading and writing for Year 9 and 10 students is improving due to a focus on literacy across all learning areas.

A large majority of Year 11 to 13 students, including Māori, achieve NCEA at Levels 1, 2 and 3.

A small majority of students attend school regularly. Levels of regular attendance are behind the Government's target of 80%.

Conditions to support student success

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

Leaders effectively work with students, whānau and teachers to drive school improvement.

Leaders work collaboratively to build staff capacity, which is making an increasingly positive impact on student wellbeing, progress and achievement.

Leaders consult effectively with the school community and consider the implications of research findings to inform curriculum redesign and pastoral developments.

Leaders mentor teachers in developing a range of strategies to make teaching and learning increasingly effective and engaging for their students.

Teaching and the curriculum are improving to better engage students and help them make progress.

Students are offered a broader range of curriculum programmes and are supported by teachers to take greater responsibility for their own learning pathways as they progress through the school.

Teachers across learning areas are using teaching and learning strategies that develop literacy skills and are helping improve student progress and achievement.

Teachers increasingly collaborate to improve effective teaching and learning practices to increase student engagement.

Student and teacher feedback about curriculum initiatives informs improvements to curriculum design.

Teachers and leaders are developing effective school conditions that benefit outcomes for students.

Whānau teachers oversee students’ progress and make connections with parents and whānau to create improved academic, engagement and wellbeing outcomes for students.

Student and teacher feedback increasingly guides improvements to learning design, teaching strategies and the structured pastoral programme, resulting in students seeing more value in their learning.

Pastoral developments and curriculum redesign are increasing students’ sense of inclusion, offering greater flexibility and relevant learning opportunities for students with complex needs.

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 identifies actions for improvement.

Key Priorities

Develop literacy and mathematics learning across curriculum areas to improve student achievement.

Increase flexibility in programme design across curriculum areas to improve levels of student choice to meet their learning interests and needs.

Improve and sustain regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

leaders and teachers develop and implement strategies to improve regular attendance ensuring that there are a range of supports in place to help students to improve attendance

Within six months:

leaders and teachers engage in professional learning to embed literacy and mathematics across curriculum areas

leaders and teachers review curriculum programmes to identify and develop opportunities to increase flexibility across curriculum areas

leaders and teachers review data to identify trends and patterns and use findings to improve regular attendance

Every six months:

leaders and teachers monitor teaching and learning to ensure effective literacy and mathematics approaches are being used

leaders and teachers use student, whānau and teacher feedback to improve programme design and increase student choice and engagement

Annually:

the School Board and leaders review the impact of pastoral, curriculum and teaching developments on engagement and achievement to inform annual and strategic planning

the Board evaluate patterns in attendance and use this information to identify next steps to increase regular rates of attendance.

Expected outcomes

Increased student choice, engagement and achievement.

Improvements in literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Improved and sustained levels of regular attendance.

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

30 October 2025

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →