Linkwater School

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 16 December 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

Linkwater School is located in the Marlborough Sounds and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is currently 54 with a majority of learners identifying as Pākehā / New Zealand European (74%), 20% Māori , 4% of Pacific heritage and 2% of Asian descent. The school’s values of Whanaungatanga, Kotahitanga, Maiatanga, Manaakitanga and Kaitiakitanga were developed following consultation with iwi and underpin the curriculum.

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

Expected improvements

The school expected to see improved teaching and learning practices within the context of the school’s approach to student self-management of learning, with a particular focus on writing.

Findings

Outcomes for learners in writing have shown significant improvement overall and for boys in writing, closing previous gaps in achievement. Improving equity for Māori learners remains a priority.

Leaders and teachers focused on strengthening student agency and embedding a curriculum that reflects the local context. Systems and processes are in place to gather and use student voice to inform individual learning goals. Students can articulate their learning and identify their next steps. The curriculum, with a strong emphasis on local context is successfully embedded. This approach supports student engagement and fosters a sense of belonging within the school community.

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? Success and progress for all learners is increasing.

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 rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational 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 1 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 64% 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 Most 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 small majority of learners attend school regularly.

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

The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.

Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.

Chronic absence is not yet 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau 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

Students experience caring and supportive learning environments created by teachers who know the students well, fostering participation and engagement.

Teachers and leaders maintain a strong focus on family and the local community, providing multiple opportunities for families to engage in school life.

Leaders and teachers have established partnerships with the community to inform improvement priorities.

Structured approaches to literacy and mathematics are prioritised, with teachers and leaders continually enhancing their knowledge and capacity through ongoing professional development.

Leaders promote a collaborative team culture where staff reflect on their practice and embrace new approaches to improve learner success and wellbeing.

A rich curriculum focused on caring for the local environment has been implemented, offering students access to the depth and breadth of the New Zealand Curriculum .

Key priorities

Strengthen and embed structured approaches to teaching in literacy and mathematics.

Improve outcomes and increase equity for all learners, with a particular focus on Māori students in writing and mathematics, and girls in reading and mathematics.

Evaluate and expand strategies to improve regular student attendance.

Enhance the use of evaluation to effectively identify areas for improvement.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

leaders and teachers consult with the community to develop and implement a plan to improve regular attendance

leaders establish a systematic approach to using evaluation for school improvement

Every six months:

leaders and teachers report to the school 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 towards improving regular attendance

leaders and teachers use evaluation systems and processes to identify improvement priorities

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 the impact of initiatives on attendance, engagement, wellbeing and achievement, and plan for the following year.

Expected outcomes

Consistent and structured approaches for teaching literacy and mathematics across the school.

Improved achievement in literacy and mathematics.

Reduced disparities in outcomes for all students.

Enhanced internal evaluation practices that effectively assess the impact of actions and inform improvement priorities.

Improved rates of regular attendance.

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets 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

16 December 2025

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →