Poukawa School

The roll ERO recorded, and when

ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 94 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.

1. October 2019

   103

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 13 December 2019

2. December 2015

   101

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 22 February 2016

We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 7 May 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.

About the School

Poukawa School is located rurally south of Hastings and provides education for learners in Year 1 to 8. The school roll is 100, comprising approximately 45% Māori learners and the remainder predominately New Zealand European/ Pākehā . The school’s vision is to empower students to be active and environmental learners in a holistic and safe environment. The school values are to explore, be determined, show tiakitanga and manaakitanga.

How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?

How well are learners succeeding? The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.

What is the quality of teaching and learning? Learners benefit from good 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 sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain 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 table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Foundation Skills

Reading Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.

Writing A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Mathematics A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.

Attendance

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 improving towards or beyond the target.

Chronic absence is reducing over time.

Assessment

The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.

Teachers are developing assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.

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 for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

Part B: Findings for the school

This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.

Areas of Strength

Leaders and teachers focus on ensuring an inclusive, family like environment that supports wellbeing for all, encourages students to see themselves as learners and promotes equitable outcomes. Regular attendance is increasing.

Learners with differing needs are well supported in their learning and in developing connection to the school, resulting in improvements in learning and behaviour.

Teachers use a range of data to identify and monitor the progress of those students who need more learning support as they move through the year levels.

Leadership is improvement focused and ensures that staff professional development is clearly aligned to school goals. The school is in the process of embedding understandings from recent professional learning in the ways in which teacher actions directly promote inclusion, wellbeing and learning.

Learners have one hour a day focused on reading, writing and mathematics. The school has started implementing structured approaches across the school in literacy and mathematics. A key next step is to further this work.

The school curriculum reflects local contexts with a strong focus on science and environmental learning that builds on learners’ experiences and knowledge.

The board is well aware of community views for school direction and provides resources for learning and equity of outcomes. A key next step is for the board to ensure it fully follows its policies and procedures.

Key priorities and actions for improvement

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

collaborate with the school community to create and implement a strategic plan to improve regular attendance

embed structured approaches for the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics consistently across the school

review schoolwide assessment practices, scrutinising for reliability and use of data to inform teaching; analyse this data to clearly show progress and achievement for all groups of learners

regularly audit school systems and practices, ensuring they align with processes outlined school policies.

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

Within three months:

with input from whānau , students and staff, create a plan and implement strategies to further improve attendance

Within six months:

review the effectiveness of strategies in increasing regular attendance and adjust as required

staff collaborate to define expectations for the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics schoolwide, using evidence based and structured approaches

ensure assessment procedures are up to date, consistent schoolwide and provide high quality information that is used to inform teaching practice

key policies related to Health and Safety and Personnel are reviewed against school practices and procedures strengthened where required

Every six months:

report to the school board on the progress and achievement of all groups within the school to inform responses

review and report to the school board and community the effectiveness of strategies for increasing regular attendance

teachers and leaders regularly use high quality data to reflect on and discuss the consistency and impact of teaching practices on learner progress, identifying professional development needs and build teaching capacity

ongoing review of school policies and procedures ensures alignment with school practices

Annually:

report to the school board and community on progress, achievement and attendance to inform strategic priorities.

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

all students attending school regularly

consistency in teaching practice and assessment procedures leading to continued progress for all groups of learners

assessment procedures and data analysis that provides useful and accurate data on progress and achievement for all learners and groups of learners schoolwide

school practices and processes that are aligned with school policies.

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

During this review the Board has attested to some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Actions for Compliance

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

sight and record a primary source of identification on appointment of staff

record evidence of background and referee checks on the appointment of staff [Education and Training Act 2020; Children’s Act 2014].

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

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)

7 May 2025

Education Counts

This 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 →