Matata School

The same report — the board assurance report of 19 July 2022 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.

ERO and the board have identified the following seven areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

newly elected, co-opted or appointed trustees have not confirmed to the board that they are eligible to be trustees [Education and Training Act 2020 Clause 11, Schedule 23]

the child protection policy does not outline how suspected neglect and abuse will be identified and reported [Children’s Act, 2014]

appropriate steps have not been taken to ensure that: teachers and authorised staff are suitably trained in physical restraint parents, students, school staff and the community know about the school’s policies for managing challenging behaviour and using physical restraint [Physical Restraint] Rules 2017 Clauses 10 and 11

accurate records of the safety checking process for employees were not kept [Children’s Act 2014]

consultation with the community on the delivery of the Health Curriculum and a statement following this has not been undertaken [Education and Training Act 2020 Section 91]

plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students have not been developed in consultation with the school’s Māori community and made known to the school’s community [National Administrative Guidelines 1(e)]

the progress of the following groups has not been reported to the school’s community: students as a whole groups (identified through NAG 1(c) ) Māori students against plans and targets referred to in NAG 1(e) [National Administrative Guidelines 2(d)].

The board has since addressed the first four areas of non-compliance identified and has taken steps to address the three remaining areas.

Read this board assurance report on ero.govt.nz →

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 8 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

Matata School is located in approximately 24 kilometres from Whakatāne in the town of Matatā and provides education for learners in Years 0 to 8. The school provides a total immersion Māori medium pathway option for students ( Korimako ).

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

Expected improvements

Teaching is informed by immediate and relevant assessment information about student learning needs to improve student achievement outcomes in reading.

Students supported to identify their next steps for learning using self-assessment skills.

Meaningful educational connections with whānau , parents and families so they are informed about, and involved, in their children’s learning.

Findings

Students’ progress towards meeting curriculum expectations in reading and mathematics is more evident. The teaching of writing needs to improve and is should be given priority.

Students are beginning to use self-assessment strategies to evaluate their own work. Further guidance from teachers is needed, so that students can clearly identify next steps to achieve learning goals.

The school has made significant progress to connect with whānau, so they are more involved in their children’s learning.

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? Improvements are required to ensure all learners are engaged, making sufficient progress and achieving well.

What is the quality of teaching and learning? The school is improving teaching and learning.

How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs? Learners have some opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a variable 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? 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 successfully 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 needs to ensure a physically and emotionally safe learning environment.

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 64% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%

Reading Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet 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 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.

Less than half of students attend school regularly.

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

The school is yet to have 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

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 not 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 and mathematics targets.

The school is not making progress towards meeting Government writing, tuhituhi, pānui and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Support

During the course of this review ERO had concerns about the quality of education being provided and made recommendations for support and/or intervention to the Secretary / Ministry of Education.

Rumaki/Reo Rua outcomes and conditions to support learner success

This section of the report provides more detail about the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of te reo Māori in rumaki/Reo Rua classroom/s within in English medium schools. The findings for Korimako are from the 2024 review.

Learner success and wellbeing

Ākonga are beginning to learn about the narratives of their rohe.

Ākonga are being supported to progress towards achieving at curriculum levels for pāngarau and te reo matatini.

Ākonga are beginning to feel valued and supported in their te reo Māori learning environment.

Ākonga are embracing tuakana, teina relationships.

Conditions to support learner success

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa guides teaching and learning.

The recent appointment of a committed, quality reo speaking kaiako is developing ākonga learning through the provision of te reo Māori.

Consistent routines and high expectations for ākonga behaviour have been prioritised to ensure a positive learning environment.

A collaborative learning environment is encouraging relational trust amongst peers.

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

Structured teaching programmes are beginning to support teachers’ deeper understanding of different learner needs. Responsive approaches have resulted in moderate shifts in reading and mathematics progress and achievement.

Strengthened tracking and monitoring systems contribute to a shared understanding of students’ progress and achievement across the school.

The integration of local iwi narratives provides students with meaningful learning. This responds to the aspirations of whānau to grow their children’s cultural knowledge and understanding. As a result, tamariki are developing to succeed as cultural contributors within their iwi.

Leadership and teachers focus on building collaborative and trusting relationships within the school and community. This focus is beginning to have a positive impact, as whānau are more engaged as learning partners and tamariki feel a strong sense of belonging within and beyond school.

Key priorities

Develop and implement a plan to improve regular attendance rates.

Scrutinise progress and achievement data to identify what is needed to improve outcomes in reading and mathematics, with an urgent priority on accelerating progress in writing.

Refine structured learning approaches so that tasks differ to both accelerate progress for learners at risk and extend learning for those already meeting or exceeding curriculum expectations.

Develop and use strategies to guide students so they can clearly to speak about their learning, monitor progress through self-assessment and identify next steps.

Prioritise strategic goals and objectives for the growth and development of Korimako.

Training for the School Board to understand and carry out their roles and responsibilities and meet legislative accountabilities.

Professional learning for in-depth understanding of what is required for effective leadership.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

leaders have an attendance improvement plan in place and strategies implemented and monitored; whānau are fully informed

leaders and staff scrutinise progress and achievement data with a particular focus on writing; identify priority improvement targets for students and staff development needs

leaders with staff identify opportunities to engage in structured learning programmes that align to the school’s strategic priorities

teachers facilitate opportunities for students to identify personal learning goals and establish a way to track these

leaders identify priority goals and objectives for Korimako and include in the school’s strategic and annual planning

the school Board has in place a training programme to grow confidence in undertaking governance roles and responsibilities

Within six months:

teachers engage in targeted professional learning to grow capability and capacity in writing and the use of assessment

review how well students’ tracking their learning progress is going

professional learning for leadership and training for effective governance is well underway

Every six months:

leaders monitor and report on the impact of strategies used to improve regular student attendance

teachers monitor accelerated progress for students who need this; identify areas of success or further need to inform next steps

leaders report on the impact of leadership and teacher professional development on learner outcomes to the School Board

review and report on the progress of priority goals and objectives for Korimako

the School Board reviews its performance and the impact of training to identify any further governance development required

Annually:

leaders analyse and report attendance patterns and respond accordingly

leaders analyse student achievement and accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics and report this information to the School Board; this information is used to set strategic and annual priorities that includes improvements to the quality of teaching and learning

review and evaluate outcomes for learners in Korimako , including wellbeing, report top the School Board to inform strategic and annual planning

teachers evaluate and refine student self-tracking tools to enable continuous growth in their learning ownership.

Expected outcomes

Improved attendance, progress and achievement for all students.

Teachers’ increased confidence and capability to deliver the curriculum.

Students know what they are to learn and reflect on their progress.

Improved outcomes for ākonga through the growth and development of Korimako.

Knowledgeable and effective leadership and governance drive improved school operation and performance.

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

No

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

No

Personnel Management

Yes

Actions for Compliance

Some of the following non-compliances were identified in the school’s 2022 ERO report. These included Child Protection Policy, physical restraint and reporting to the community students’ overall progress and achievement.

The Matata School Board and ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

with urgency, the school Board to review and ratify the recently purchased policy and procedure framework to effectively guide school operation [sections 125(2) Education and Training Act 2020]

report to the school’s community on progress and achievement of student as a whole, and on the progress and achievement of Māori students [Sections 127 (1) (d) & (2) (b), 139 Education and Training Act 2-23; Regulation 21 of Education (School Boards) Amendment Regulations 2022; NELP 5]

student absences are correctly recorded, monitored and followed up [Section 36 (2), Education and Training Act 2020; Regulations 3/11 Education (School Attendance Regulations 1951]

the Board is regularly assured that the school is monitoring and reporting health and safety risks, trends and patterns [Health and Safety at Work Act 2015]

emergency evacuation procedures, lockdowns, notifications and testing procedures are carried out in accordance with policies [National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan Order 2015]

policy and procedures, including implementation, for child protection meet legislative requirements [Section 15 Oranga Tamariki Act 1989; Part 6 and Sections 18, 19 Children’s Act 2014]

policies and practices for physical restraint must have regard to the legislation, rules and guidelines [Section 99-101 Education and Training Act 2020; Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2023]

complete the necessary police vetting of an employee [Section 104 schedule 4 Education and Training Act 2020; regulation 5 – 8 of the Children’s Act 2014 (Requirements of Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations].

The board has taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Recommendation to the Ministry of Education

ERO will initiate conversations with the Ministry of Education about support/intervention. ERO recommendation to the Ministry of Education will be outlined in the confirmed report to bring about the following improvements :

continue with support for attendance strategies to improve regular rates

stewardship knowledge and confidence to undertake roles and responsibilities and meet legislative requirements

assessment practices and using the data to inform teacher capability building and improve the quality of teaching and learning, and consequently learner outcomes

professional development in leadership for learning and teaching of writing.

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

Sharee Hemingway Director Ākonga Māori

8 December 2025

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →