Huiakama School

The roll ERO recorded, and when

ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 11 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.

1. September 2018

   18

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 8 November 2018

This is one count taken for one report. It says what the roll was on that day, and nothing about how the roll has moved.

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 13 May 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.

About the School

Huiakama is a small, rural school that provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is 13. The ethnic composition is Māori 46% and New Zealand European/ Pākehā 54%.

The school’s values of respect, responsibility and relationships underpin their mission to support every student to become engaged lifelong learners who strive to reach their potential .

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

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

Foundation Skills

Reading A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing Less than a third of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

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

The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.

Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.

Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.

Assessment

The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately 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 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.

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

Teachers and staff respond well to individual wellbeing and learning needs, contributing to a positive and inclusive learning environment. All learners benefit from high expectations for learning and experience a strong sense of belonging through positive relationships with staff and their peers.

Leaders are establishing systematic processes to analyse progress and achievement to inform strategic planning and decision making.

The school is using a structured approach to literacy and mathematics to support learner progress and achievement, with ongoing teacher professional development planned. Staff professional learning is targeted, planned and strategically implemented to align to the school’s strategic goals.

Teachers work collaboratively to provide balanced curriculum coverage. Embedded school values support learner wellbeing, inclusion and self-responsibility.

Teachers use a variety of evidence-based and differentiated teaching strategies to provide purposeful and well-paced learning.

Established partnerships with other local education providers, positively supports teaching and learning programmes and increases opportunities for learners.

Key priorities and actions for improvement

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

develop and implement an attendance plan to increase and sustain regular attendance

refine and strengthen assessment practices, analysis and teachers’ response to assessment information

accelerate the progress of learners who are not yet achieving at expected curriculum levels for reading, writing and mathematics, with a particular emphasis on improving outcomes in writing and for boys

strengthen partnerships with whānau , local iwi and hapū to support the strategic decision-making process of the school.

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

Within six months:

review attendance strategies in place and develop a plan to improve regular attendance

review and refine assessment practices to develop a deeper understanding of data analysis that guides planning

connect and consult with parents and whānau to share aspirations for learners and participate in the planning and decision-making of the school

Every six months:

monitor and evaluate attendance trends and initiatives that are successful in improving attendance and adapt strategies accordingly

evaluate, moderate and analyse student achievement information to develop an ongoing and accurate schoolwide picture of learner progress over time, informing next learning steps

meet with whānau to sustain active participation in the planning and decision-making of the school

Annually:

analyse, evaluate and report schoolwide attendance, progress and achievement information to identify initiatives that have been most successful in accelerating progress and improving attendance for all learners

gather and review whānau, hapū, iwi voice on the success of engagement and partnerships with the school, to assist with developing next steps for strategic planning.

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

increased and sustained levels of attendance, progress and achievement for all learners, particularly in writing

embedded systems and processes for gathering and using assessment information to guide responsive teaching and learning practices, with a particular focus on achieving equity of outcomes for boys

improved and sustained levels of engagement with whānau and the wider community in the school’s decision-making processes.

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 areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

conduct identity confirmation as part of their workforce safety checks for any persons the board has employed or engaged as a paid children’s worker. [Sections 25, 26 and 27 of the 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 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 Acting Director of Schools

13 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 this report on ero.govt.nz →