The Terrace School (Waipukurau)

The same report — the board assurance report of 24 April 2025 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.

ERO and the board have identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

safety checking of workforce; evidence of risk assessment. [Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulation 2015; Part 1 Clause 5,7,8]

The board has since taken steps to address the area of non-compliance identified.

Read this board assurance report on ero.govt.nz →

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 24 April 2025 — “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.

Context

The Terrace School ( Waipukurau ) is located in Central Hawkes Bay and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision He kaha te Mātauranga is promoted through the values of Whakawhanaungatanga , Ako, Kaitiakitanga and Aroha . The school has a bilingual rumaki, Te Aranga .

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki /bilingual settings.

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing

Outcomes for learners are becoming more equitable and excellent.

Achievement information for 2023, shows a majority of learners achieved at expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

Mid-year data for 2024, shows a trajectory of improvement in reading, with all Year 8 students at or above expectation.

Students with additional learning needs are well supported and they participate, engage and learn in an inclusive learning environment.

The school has not yet met, and is working towards, the Government’s target for regular attendance; strategies to improve attendance focus on building positive relationships with students and whānau to promote engagement in learning.

Conditions to support learner success

Leadership increasingly involves whānau, hapū and iwi in decision making for school improvement.

Leadership is making good progress in developing a localised curriculum designed to meet the aspirations of whānau and iwi ; continuing to build teacher capacity in te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori is a planned next step.

Leadership increasingly fosters a culture for teachers that is committed to having high quality teaching and the monitoring of learner progress.

Leaders give high priority to an inclusive school culture where students are supported to access learning and barriers to learning are successfully reduced.

Teaching practices increasingly respond to students’ learning needs, interests and cultural identities.

Students have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of The New Zealand Curriculum ; priority is given to teaching foundation skills in literacy and mathematics.

Teachers use appropriate assessment information to adapt teaching practice and report the progress and achievement of each learner.

Teachers’ interactions with students are increasingly learning focused and purposeful; teaching strategies that engage all students in learning continue to be a priority.

The school is strengthening and aligning systems, processes and practices to support positive outcomes for all learners.

Teachers are well supported to build capability through professional development aligned with the school’s goals; ongoing development of teachers’ practice in structured literacy to address learner needs is given priority.

Partnerships for learning are well-developed; parent and whānau input into their children’s education is highly valued.

Well considered transition processes promote learners’ wellbeing and sense of belonging; continuing to gather student voice and wellbeing data for all learners is a planned next step.

The board is representative of the school community and members work collaboratively with school leaders, whānau and iwi to realise the vision and to achieve improvement goals.

Learner success and wellbeing

Less than half of ākonga in Te Aranga are achieving at or above expected levels in pānui , while less than a third are doing so in tuhituhi and pāngarau .

Ākonga are beginning to experience smooth transitions through Māori -medium education.

Ākonga develop confidence and pride in learning and using te reo Māori , supported by growing language skills and cultural connections.

Conditions to support learner success

The school is strengthening bilingual teaching, learning programmes, and assessment tools to support the diverse needs of second-language learners in Te Aranga .

Whānau and mana whenua contribute through hui , online input and board representation to ensure the reo programme reflects community aspirations.

Te Aranga is supported by an environment where te reo is normalized and reinforced through whānau engagement and cultural practices.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

focus on improving attendance rates for all learners using the strategies in place

build teacher capability and capacity in evidence-based teaching practices to improve outcomes for all students in reading, writing and mathematics

further develop capability of all staff to integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori , and mātauranga Māori in the curriculum to support Māori learners to achieve success as Māori

collect and use student wellbeing data to strengthen responsive classroom and school wide practices

strengthen planning, teaching, assessment and data analysis in Te Aranga .

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

Within six months:

monitor the effectiveness of strategies to increase and sustain regular attendance

continue professional learning and development in structured literacy for teachers for consistency in approach

implement a responsive local curriculum, strengthening te reo Māori and tikanga Māori across the school and in everyday classroom practices

conduct a wellbeing survey with staff, learners and whānau , to assist with strengthening classroom and school wide practices that further engage learners

source reo rua -specific professional development around assessment, robust data analysis and monitoring and tracking ākonga progres

Every six months:

analyse attendance data, measure progress towards improving regular attendance at school and adapt strategies accordingly

continue to build on teachers’ capacity and capability to integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori , and mātauranga Māori and identify agreed ways to measure progress

continue to monitor the impact of professional development for teachers on raising student achievement in reading and writing

Annually:

use the analysis of progress, achievement, wellbeing and attendance information to know the impact of initiatives and professional learning on student outcomes

evaluate the extent to which the local curriculum meets the needs and aspirations of learners and their whānau

measure progress made to integrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori , and mātauranga Māori in the curriculum.

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

improved wellbeing, progress and achievement outcomes for all students; improved learner outcomes for ākonga in Te Aranga

improved regular student attendance

consistent and high-quality, evidence-based teaching practices in literacy and mathematics

the aspirations of learners and their whānau met through a responsive curriculum.

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)

24 April 2025

About the School

The Education Counts 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 →