Hutt Intermediate

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 28 May 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.

Context

Hutt Intermediate, located in Lower Hutt, provides education for students in Years 7 and 8. Core values of respect, excellence and resilience underpin the school’s logo ‘ Kia Maia ’; be strong, be brave and be confident.

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.

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

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Since the 2022 ERO Report, the school and ERO and have worked together to evaluate how effectively the school is developing, implementing, embedding and sustaining its teaching and learning framework. This included how well the framework equipped learners with the skills, knowledge and strategies to be great students and members of society.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

The development of a broad local curriculum and a carefully defined teaching and learning framework, focused on rich learning that actively involves both student and staff learners .

Extensive consultation at all levels of the school and community resulted in a well-designed local curriculum, focused on meaningful learning, critical thinking and active participation.

A framework for teaching and learning with supporting systems and structures that link and interconnect with the school’s vision and local curriculum.

The teaching and learning framework support a culturally appropriate curriculum that is relevant for all students; they can build their knowledge, understanding and improve their levels of achievement.

Well analysed information shows that the inclusive, culturally appropriate curriculum enables learners to sustain progress and, for many, to show accelerated achievement.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that strong and sustained partnerships were built through using a range of formal and informal ways for the school to listen, communicate and involve whānau and the community.

The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action has been the strengthening and growth of staff collaboration, professional capability and accelerated achievement for learners.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners are becoming increasingly equitable and excellent.

Schoolwide achievement information shows that the majority of learners achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics; students are not achieving as well in writing.

Disparity has reduced for Māori and Pacific learners in literacy and mathematics due to a sustained focus on accelerating progress and achievement of all learners.

The school has made progress towards, but is not yet meeting, the government’s target for regular attendance; this remains an ongoing focus for the school.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership fosters and sustains a culture committed to quality teaching, and equity and excellence in learner outcomes.

To achieve the school’s strategic vision and improvement goals, leaders are building a culture of collaboration where shared expectations of high-quality teaching practice promote student progress and achievement.

Leadership uses a wide range of good quality evidence to evaluate the implementation of strategic targets and goals; next steps are thoughtfully planned to improve learners’ achievement and wellbeing.

Teachers use evidence-based teaching strategies to provide purposeful and well-paced learning opportunities.

Teachers increasingly create well-organised and collaborative classroom environments where learning time is maximised, and mutually respectful relationships are fostered.

Targeted schoolwide professional learning deepens teachers’ knowledge and their professional practice and prioritises improved achievement and wellbeing.

A highly inclusive professional culture and responsive teaching practices support the wellbeing and achievement of learners with additional needs.

Planning for improvement is well informed by evidence and in partnership with the school’s community.

The board represents and works with the community to guide the school’s strategic direction, and prioritises students’ progress, achievement and wellbeing.

Local context, stories and the increasing use of te reo Māori are included in the teaching and learning framework and local curriculum, in a way that students can see themselves, their identity and culture.

Parents and whānau are valued and respected partners in learning; they are well informed, and have many opportunities to support, and actively participate in their child’s learning.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

implement a schoolwide professional learning focus on structured literacy and mathematics that promotes student engagement and achievement and embeds high quality teacher practice

develop aligned, consistent and well understood schoolwide assessment expectations for literacy and mathematics

continue to strengthen culturally appropriate practices , including the use of te reo Māori , within the teaching and learning framework and local curriculum to promote active student engagement and accelerate the achievement of all learners

continue to monitor and focus on improving rates of attendance.

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

Every six months:

review the effectiveness of teachers’ professional practice through classroom observations and report learners’ achievement in structured literacy and mathematics and planned next steps to the board

continue to review the impact of the teaching and learning framework and local curriculum, culturally responsive practices and evidence of the improved capability of staff and learners in te reo Māori

evaluate the effectiveness of plans in place focused on improving rates of attendance; use this information to review the school’s action plan and shape initiatives for the remainder of the year

Annually:

analyse schoolwide achievement in structured literacy and mathematics, including that of identified learners; use this data to report to the board, and to strategically plan actions that will improve the achievement and learning outcomes of all

review progress of school achievement processes and expectations; identify initiatives that have been most successful and use this information in schoolwide strategic planning

evaluate the impact and outcomes of the teaching and learning framework and the local curriculum, the growth of teachers’ and learners’ use of te reo Māori and cultural practices across the school; strategically plan next steps to further strengthen student engagement and accelerate achievement

analyse and report schoolwide attendance information to the board; strategically plan actions and initiatives to further improve attendance.

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

improved achievement outcomes and accelerated progress in literacy and mathematics

robust assessment systems and processes that inform teachers’ planning and practice, and support all learners to know how well they are achieving and what they need to learn next

a teaching and learning framework and local curriculum that enables leaders and staff to strengthen their professional practice and deepens schoolwide capability in te reo Māori , and improves the achievement and wellbeing of all learners

more students attending school regularly.

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)

28 May 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

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →