Taupo School

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 18 September 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

Taupo School, located in Taupō , provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. Of the 476 students who attend the school, approximately 41% identify as Māori , 38% as New Zealand European/ Pākehā , 16% as Asian and 5% are of Pacific Islands heritage. The school’s vision is to have every child Hooked on Learning/ Ko te ako te maneatanga . The school is currently trialling a Reo Rua classroom.

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 schools has made since the October 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.

Expected improvements

The school focused on evaluating how well school systems and programmes support culturally responsive and inclusive learning, enabling outcomes of equity and excellence for all.

The school expected to see enhanced systems and programmes that evidence culturally responsive and high-quality teaching and learning practices.

Findings

Over the past three years the school has worked in partnership with iwi , parents and whānau to meet the aspirations they hold for their tamariki .

Iwi expertise and resources have well supported the school in growing teacher confidence and capability in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori . A manawhenua theme guides the curriculum, resulting in learning opportunities centred on the local environment and history. Leaders and teachers closely monitor classroom practices and programmes so that the requirements of The New Zealand Curriculum are met in culturally responsive ways.

The school prioritises learning that engages students and responds to their learning needs and interests. Evident is a consistent focus on improving student progress and achievement in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics. Procedures and systems are in place to evaluate the quality of teaching and programmes, and evidence shows that culturally responsive teaching and learning practices are becoming embedded schoolwide.

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 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? 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 0 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 65% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%

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

Writing A small 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 becoming more 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 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 significantly 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 Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and is likely to meet them by 2030.

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

Leadership effectively guides the school; collaborative relationships are evident across the school community, including iwi , parents and whānau resulting in an inclusive school culture that focuses on student learning and wellbeing.

Students learn in warm and affirming environments, a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing is evident, and the school values consistently demonstrated.

Teachers know their learners well; assessment data is used to inform classroom practice and teaching is adjusted to meet student needs. Schoolwide data shows sustained progress of learning outcomes, and acceleration of learning for some students, over their time at the school.

Robust school systems and procedures lead to consistency in practices across the school; an ongoing culture of inquiry and self-review ensures that reliable data is collected and analysed to inform the school of the impact of actions and to guide future decision making.

Leaders and teachers hold high expectations for student achievement and closely monitor student progress; relevant programmes and resources are available for students who need extra support.

The school curriculum prioritises the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics using structured approaches; the wider school curriculum, developed with iwi , offers students increased opportunity to learn and experience a curriculum that supports their cultural identity. Students have regular instruction in te reo Māori .

Key priorities

Improve regular attendance.

Review and align the Taupo School curriculum with the teaching and assessment requirements of the English and mathematics curriculum.

Ensure student readiness as they transition between early phases of the English curriculum.

Actions to bring about improvement

Within six months:

leaders and teachers develop understanding of the new curriculum requirements and commence review of the school delivery of literacy and mathematics

leaders and teachers align assessment and reporting processes with requirements of The New Zealand Curriculum

Every six months:

leaders review and report to the School Board on attendance, noting the impact of actions on improved outcomes and adjust as needed

leaders report to the school board and community on changes made in the implementation and assessment of the school curriculum, and use this information to inform next steps

teachers measure and report on student progress in achieving milestones in reading and writing

Annually:

leaders and the School Board analyse and report schoolwide attendance data and next steps to the community

the School Board and leaders evaluate and report on the changes to curriculum and assessment, using this to inform strategic planning

leaders and the School Board analyse, evaluate and report to the community on student progress as identified within the strategic plan.

Expected outcomes

All students regularly attending school.

Improved achievement for all learners in reading and writing.

Curriculum content, delivery and assessment that is aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum.

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

18 September 2025

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →