Patea Area School

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 12 February 2026 — “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.

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

Patea Area School provides education for learners in Years 0 to 13. At the time of the review, there was 202 students enrolled at the school. Māori learners make up 75% of the school roll with 32% identifying as Pākehā /New Zealand European. An Alternative Education provision is hosted onsite.

The school’s values are Manaakitanga (Generosity, Respect, Kindness), Rangatiratanga (Self-determination, Leadership, Mana ) and Kaitiakitanga (Guardianship, Sustainability, Protection). Ngā Uara (values) and the school’s Pūrākau (story) underpin the school’s 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 August 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school evaluated how effectively they developed their new curriculum with their community. They expected to see all learners progressing and achieving according to their individual development plans, their community engaged and fully participating in supporting learners and a co-constructed curriculum framework established and enacted.

Findings

The school has effectively consulted, developed and visually documented their school pūrākau ( story) and ngā uara (values). Ngā uara and pūrākau are clear, used and known throughout the school and underpin all decision making. The result has been a clear purpose and identity is effectively embedded, improving learner’s sense of belonging and connection to the school.

Coherent systems, clearly aligned to the school’s ngā uara , are well embedded and support consistent expectations for learning and behaviour across the school. The school community are increasingly engaged with the school and whānau are valued partners in developing and monitoring their children’s individual development plan.

What we know about learner success

This section provides a summary of learner success, wellbeing and foundation school conditions, including any education in Rumaki/Reo Rua settings. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.

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%

Learner success and wellbeing

This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing.

Success and progress for learners is increasing

A small majority of learners meet curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 1 to 6. Acceleration for some learners in reading and mathematics is evident.

A small majority meet curriculum expectations in literacy and mathematics in Years 7 to 10. Accelerated progress is evident in reading and mathematics for target groups in Years 7 and 8.

A small majority achieve of students achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1. Most students achieve NCEA Level 2, and the large majority of the students who remain at school achieve Level 3. Achievement outcomes are generally equitable between groups of students.

Less than half of all students attend school regularly. Regular attendance rates are behind the government target of 80%. The school has implemented an attendance plan; regular attendance is improving, and chronic absence has reduced.

Conditions to support learner success

This section provides a summary of leadership, teaching, curriculum and foundation school conditions for improvement.

Leaders effectively maintain a settled environment for learning.

Leadership fosters relational trust and collaboration at all levels of the school community helping the school to achieve their strategic goals.

Leaders have embedded well known expectations for learning and behaviour across the school.

Tracking and monitoring of learning and behaviour information is systematic, and evidence based. Analysis of trends for groups of learners is an agreed next step.

Leaders involve whānau and iwi in decision making.

Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

Learners are well known by their teachers. Tracking and monitoring of achievement and wellbeing is systematic, evidence-based and used to inform teaching.

Teachers use structured approaches for teaching literacy and mathematics in the junior years, resulting in accelerated progress for the majority of targeted learners. Literacy and Numeracy are prioritised in the senior school.

Teachers engage in ongoing professional learning aligned to school priorities and use responsive practices well.

Learners with additional needs are fully included and supported.

Whānau and community are respected and valued partners in learning.

The aspirations of key stakeholders are explicit in the school’s curriculum making expectations for learning clear.

Teachers work with whānau and learners to develop Individual Development Plans that document whānau aspirations and foster authentic partnerships for learning.

The School Board, leaders and teachers identify and reduce barriers to offer a wide range of learning opportunities both within and beyond the classroom.

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 identifies key priorities and actions for improvement.

Key priorities

Identify, review and monitor the effectiveness of interventions for targeted learner groups over time; regularly report outcomes to the Board.

Fully implement structured literacy and mathematics approaches in Years 0 to 8.

Embed updated English and mathematics curriculum and assessment requirements for Years 0 to 10.

Improve and sustain regular student attendance.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

leaders identify target learner groups and inquire into what is working to improve attendance, engagement, achievement, progress and wellbeing outcomes

Every six months:

leaders report inquiry findings for target learner groups to the Board

leaders report the impacts of professional learning to the Board

the Board reviews and adjusts their attendance plan in response to attendance data

Annually:

the Board reports achievement, progress, attendance, and wellbeing outcomes to the community.

Expected outcomes

Improved and sustained levels of attendance.

Improved achievement and equitable outcomes for all learners.

Consistent, high quality teaching practices, informed by data and responsive to the needs of all learners.

High quality evaluation practices used by leaders and school Board for ongoing school improvement.

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

12 February 2026

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →