St Joseph's School (Pleasant Point)

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 17 February 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

St Joseph’s School (Pleasant Point) is a Catholic integrated school providing education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is 48 with 95% of learners identifying as New Zealand European and 10% as Māori. The school’s special character is guided by the values of Mary MacKillop ‘ Do your bit, make room for all, have an attitude of gratitude, and listen to God’s call’. There have been two changes of Principal since the last ERO review.

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 February 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school evaluated the impact of the structured literacy programme on student achievement in reading and writing. The key priorities were ongoing professional learning around Structured Literacy to sustain progress and gathering and analysing student achievement data to measure the ongoing impact of this programme.

Findings

Structured literacy teaching approaches were the key focus for professional learning across the school. All staff, including release teachers, participated and built their skills and knowledge to support consistent literacy practices across the school. Achievement results stayed steady from 2022 to 2024, however the rate of progress in writing slowed. The school is reviewing and improving assessment practices to match curriculum changes.

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? 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 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 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 A large majority of 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 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, 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

The school promotes an inclusive and supportive culture where learners feel valued and respected; teachers know their learners well and provide care and support that fosters wellbeing and achievement.

Positive relationships are evident among learners and between learners and teachers, contributing to a sense of belonging.

Learners are actively engaged in their learning. Learning experiences connect meaningfully to the local environment and reflect learners’ interests.

Structured approaches to teaching literacy and mathematics are evident across the school.

Strategic and collaborative leadership is committed to on ongoing improvement. Leaders promote a culture of reflection and continuous development to enhance outcomes for all learners.

Collaborative staff practices strengthen consistency and shared responsibility for learner success.

Partnerships with whānau and the wider community, including a supportive Board, contribute to a positive and connected school environment.

Key priorities

Increase achievement and reduce disparity for boys and Māori learners in reading, writing and mathematics.

Embed consistent teaching and assessment practices school-wide that are aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum.

Implement and embed a school-wide attendance plan to increase regular attendance and support progress toward the Government target.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within three months:

leaders and teachers review and document school-wide literacy and numeracy progressions and expectations

leaders and teachers develop a school wide assessment and reporting overview that aligns with New Zealand Curriculum and Ministry of Education guidelines

leaders and the school Board implement and share with community a school-wide attendance plan

Every six months:

leaders and teacher review and analyse student achievement information and the effectiveness of strategies to improve learning for priority learners, adjusting as needed

teachers participate in professional learning, coaching and collaborative inquiry so that teaching and assessment practice focus on raising achievement for all learners

leaders and the board review attendance data and strategies to improve attendance, adjusting as needed

Annually:

teachers and leaders monitor and evaluate the impact of strategies on student progress, report to the board and community and use to refine strategies and extend successful practices

leaders evaluate consistency of practice through classroom observations and learner feedback to set goals and plan professional development

teachers and leaders review school wide teaching and assessment guidelines, adjust as needed, and identify areas for further improvement or strengthening

leaders and the board evaluate the effectiveness of attendance plan use to inform strategic decisions.

Expected outcomes

Increased achievement for all learners, and reduced disparity for boys and Māori learners in reading, writing and mathematics.

Consistent teaching and assessment practices for literacy and numeracy across the school.

Evaluative practices strengthened across the school for ongoing improvement.

Increased regular attendance and engagement for all learners.

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

17 February 2026

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →