Newmarket School

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 30 April 2026 — “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

Newmarket School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school roll of approximately 240 learners is diverse; 79% of learners identify as Asian and 20% as Pākehā /New Zealand European. The school demographic has changed significantly over time, and a large majority of current students are English Language Learners. The school’s vision Connected, generous and thoughtful learners is supported by values of Respect, Kindness and Perseverance.

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

Priorities from the last review were to increase equitable outcomes for groups of learners in writing. This focus included improving the use of assessment information to inform teaching, students being supported to know their learning goals and reporting clearly, deepening families/ whānau understanding of their child’s learning and next steps.

Findings

Leaders and teachers have embedded strong writing moderation processes school wide, and teachers use assessment findings effectively to inform differentiated teaching and learning. The clarity of learning is a strength, and learners can speak confidently about their current goals. Reporting to parents and whānau is strong; teachers and leaders use plain language effectively to ensure families/ whānau understand their child’s current learning, next steps and how they can help at home. Increasing equitable outcomes in writing remains a key focus.

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 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 reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress. The school responds well to a wide range 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 6

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 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 Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are 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 large majority of learners attend school regularly.

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

The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.

Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.

Chronic absence is reducing over time.

Assessment

This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.

The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.

Assessment information is used well 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 has 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

Supportive, responsive and inclusive relationships between staff and learners promote a strong sense of belonging and pride in the school.

Learning experiences across the curriculum reflect and connect with learner interests and cultures, contributing to their high engagement and wellbeing.

An experienced and strategic senior leadership team provide cohesive leadership that ensures high expectations. Robust processes and systems support effective school conditions for teaching and learning.

Learners who require additional support are identified promptly and effective interventions are put in place to address their needs.

Well embedded collaborative teacher inquiry processes build collective capability with a clear focus on accelerating progress and achievement of learners.

Strong reciprocal relationships with the community, including seeking and sharing feedback around strategic priorities, and a visible school board, enhance outcomes for learners.

Key priorities

Track and analyse schoolwide progress data over time to measure impact and to further inform targeted planning and actions.

Raise achievement in writing and improve equitable outcomes for identified groups of students.

Further improve levels of regular attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

leaders review the impact of the teaching and assessment of writing, with a particular focus on how English Language Learners develop their writing skills and knowledge to plan targeted next steps

leaders and teachers implement the SMART tool to further support responsive teaching, learning and robust Overall Teacher Judgements

leaders and teachers implement systems for tracking and analysing the progress of learners over time

Every six months:

leaders and teachers monitor and review the effectiveness of actions taken to accelerate progress and lift achievement in writing to inform next steps

leaders review attendance strategies and initiatives to inform next steps

Annually:

leaders report to the Newmarket School Board using progress data to evaluate the effectiveness of programmes/initiatives and to inform further strategic priorities for continuous improvement

leaders report on achievement and attendance information to the Board, sharing next steps and emerging priorities with the school community.

Expected outcomes

Strengthened systems for analysing and reporting progress data over time, enabling improved evaluation of impact of programmes and initiatives.

Improved progress, achievement and equitable outcomes in writing for all groups of learners.

Sustained high levels of regular attendance that meet the Government’s target.

Regulatory and legislative requirements

This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements. This includes the provision of education for international students.

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

Provision for international students

This section is about the quality of the provision of education for international students enrolled at the school.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were two international students attending the school.

International students participate fully in all areas of school life and are well supported to make good progress during their time at Newmarket School. They experience positive and inclusive relationships with their peers and teachers.

The school has thorough processes for annual self-review that provide reliable information about aspects of the provision for international students. School governance and leadership are well informed about international students’ wellbeing, learning and engagement.

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 April 2026

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →