124 Matarau Road , Kamo, Whangarei
View on mapTēnā 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.
Matarau School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The roll is just under 300 students and is made up of primarily European and Pākehā learners, with approximately a quarter of students of Māori descent. The board’s vision for the school is that children are provided with diverse and challenging opportunities to be valued, to know and build on their strengths, to make productive learning and personal decisions and to enjoy the process of learning.
ERO and the school worked together to evaluate how well the school conditions contribute to developing student ownership of their learning. Students increasingly discuss what they are learning with each other and their teachers; this is strengthening learners’ confidence and work habits. Students consistently knowing how well they are learning and their next learning steps are areas for ongoing improvement.
Teaching increasingly responds to students’ strengths, needs and abilities. Leaders and teachers need to embed a schoolwide approach to student ownership of learning so that learners, staff and parents have a shared knowledge and understanding of student progress and achievement.
| How well are learners succeeding? | Success and progress for all learners is increasing. |
| 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? | 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 is taking steps to improve 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 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 needs to ensure a physically and emotionally safe learning environment. |
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 equitable for all groups of learners. |
The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.
The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to 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.
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 some progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
Every six months:
Annually:
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.
ERO’s evaluation of the school’s process for self-review and provision of pastoral care as required by the Code identified that policies and procedures that guide the expected care of international students need to be reviewed and updated.
ERO recommends that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority as Administrator of the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 follows up with the school about its implementation of procedures for police vetting of homestays.
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:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ERO has identified the following area for improvement:
ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
The board has not yet addressed the area of non-compliance identified.
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
Acting Director of Schools
25 February 2025
This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
This Profile Report was written within 15 months of the Education Review Office and Matarau School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website www.ero.govt.nz
Matarau School is a rural school near Kamo, Whangārei. The school provides education for students in Years 1 to 8.
Matarau School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
develop values, skills and work habits that are integral to effective learning and to life beyond school
achieve excellence in literacy and numeracy
promote agency in their learning
strengthen partnerships between home and school.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Matarau School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school conditions contribute to developing student ownership of their learning. This evaluation will inform a refinement of the school’s strategic priorities.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
develop a shared understanding among students, staff and parents of student ownership of learning
The school expects to see students demonstrating agency and self-efficacy in their learning to continue to improve their achievement outcomes across the curriculum. Teachers will create conditions that enable students to develop values, skills and work habits that foster student ownership of their learning.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to develop student ownership of their learning:
a school learning environment that is positive and characterised by respectful relationships
learners express a strong sense of belonging and connection to the school
the professional culture of the school supports reflection and collaboration among staff and is responsive to the needs of all learners.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
30 September 2022
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of June 2022, the Matarau School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For further information please contact Matarau School Board.
The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.
Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
30 September 2022
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Matarau School has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.
The school’s process for annual self-review contains information about aspects of the provision for international students. The school recognises the value of strengthening their self-review process so that it aligns more closely with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s guidelines and documentation about the Code.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
30 September 2022
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Matarau School provides good quality education for students. Positive relationships between staff, students and families are a strong feature of the school that supports student wellbeing and learning. School improvements are enhanced by experienced, capable leaders and skilled teachers. Most students achieve at or above the National Standards.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Matarau School provides very good educational opportunities for students from Years 1 to 8. Most students have NZ European/Pākehā heritage and more than a quarter of students are Māori. Students, staff and parents are proud of their school and of the strong relationships forged with their community. They appreciate the school’s commitment to live its mission statement for students to know self, to feel valued and to learn.
The school promotes inclusive and welcoming approaches for all students and their whānau, and especially for students with special educational needs. Teachers focus on promoting students’ confidence as learners and leaders in different ways throughout the school.
Students are friendly and kind to each other. They have positive relationships with their principal, teachers and other adults in the school. These aspects, combined with the generational connections that some parents have to the school, promote students’ sense of belonging to their school and their engagement in learning.
The school environment is attractive and well maintained. Classrooms are well resourced and include good access to digital technologies for students and staff throughout the school. The board of trustees ensures adequate provision of digital devices so that all students have access for learning. School-wide teaching and learning programmes are based on sound educational philosophy that promotes student-centred learning.
The 2012 ERO report identified that the school had many strengths in areas of governance, leadership, teaching and learning, and in promoting positive outcomes for students. These strengths continue to be evident in the school.
The school uses achievement information very well to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.
The school recognises and responds very well to children’s wellbeing to support and promote their engagement and learning. Students and staff value and celebrate each others’ unique strengths, differences and successes. Children with special educational needs, including those with specific gifts and talents, are very well catered for. School leaders, staff and the board of trustees provide solutions-based strategies to promote positive outcomes for students.
Most students, including Māori students, throughout the school achieve at or above the National Standards in reading, writing and mathematics. All students are very well supported to make significant progress during their years at the school. Teachers and school leaders use data effectively to plan and review long and short-term classroom programmes for students.
School leaders and teachers are skilled at using data to identify student needs and set specific goals and targets. Targets include a clear focus on specific groups of students who require extra support. Leaders work with teachers to design and evaluate learning programmes and initiatives that accelerate student achievement. Student achievement information is used strategically by the board and school leaders to align teacher professional learning and teacher aide support to school goals and targets.
A very good example of the school’s well considered and strategic approach to using data is the school’s focus in 2014 on promoting the mathematics skills of specific groups of students. Teachers and leaders have identified significantly positive outcomes of this approach. They continue to monitor and discuss the mathematics achievement of target students to ensure their continual progress and achievement.
Teachers and leaders work together and with teachers from other schools to ensure that the judgements they make about student achievement are increasingly valid, accurate and reliable. They are keen to further improve student ownership of learning and to strengthen the learning partnerships they have with parents about children’s learning. Currently teachers share their well moderated data regularly with parents, and students use their own achievement information to set and evaluate learning goals. Students also discuss their learning and achievement with their parents at student-led conferences.
The school’s rural location near Kamo provides useful learning experiences for students and contributes to the localised curriculum design. Students’ interests and needs are at the centre of the school’s curriculum design and delivery. This promotes and supports student learning very effectively. The curriculum is based strongly on reading, writing and mathematics, with other areas of the curriculum such as science, the Arts and technology integrated into learning programmes during the year.
Skilled teachers design authentic learning programmes around current and local issues, and build on students’ own experiences, interests and backgrounds. Teachers connect learning meaningfully to the key competencies of The New Zealand Curriculum. They promote opportunities for students to transfer their learning into action within the local and wider community. Trips outside of the school are well linked to learning programmes and support students to be of service to community organisations.
Students have good choices about what and how they learn, including cooperative and collaborative experiences. Teachers know and understand their learners as individuals and plan responsively for them. School leaders and teachers are continuing to find ways to strengthen opportunities for students to learn about Māori language, culture and the world from a Māori perspective. Students appreciate the many varied co-curricular experiences on offer at the school, and ably fulfil leadership roles.
Students experience calm and focused learning environments. Classrooms are attractive, celebrate children’s work and provide good prompts for student learning. Rooms in the middle area of the school have new variable furniture that caters well for student preferences, improving student engagement in, and enjoyment of, learning.
Teachers are hard working and reflective professionals. They are committed to promoting student achievement and enhancing students’ learning experiences, including the use of digital technologies. Teachers embrace professional learning opportunities and reflect on and improve their own practice.
The school is highly committed to, and strongly supports, educational success for Māori, as Māori. Most Māori students at the school and their whānau affiliate to Nga Puhi.
Since 2012 the school has made significant improvements to promote educational success for Māori, as Māori that include:
These developments have resulted in Māori students having increased pride in their language, culture and identity. The confidence of Māori students to stand as leaders in the school has also increased as a result.
The board, principal and school leaders are now keen to explore the development of more strategic connections between their Māori community and the board. This useful next step would support the board to enact the goals and aspirations that whānau Māori have for their tamariki.
The school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance.
The school continues to be led by an experienced and skilled principal, who provides strong professional and educational leadership for his staff, the board and community. He is partnered by a capable senior team and together they identify teachers’ strengths and build their leadership capability in different ways throughout the school. This productive approach helps to sustain and strengthen school-based programmes and initiatives.
Senior leaders have high expectations of staff and of each other. They work collaboratively to promote ongoing improvements to teaching practices, and to evaluate the impact of learning programmes on positive outcomes for students. Senior leaders ensure that changes to teaching and learning are very well considered and informed by educational research.
Leaders and teachers have a strong strategic focus and a very good understanding of self review as a mechanism for change and improvement. Appraisals encourage teachers to inquire into and improve their practice, and are clearly aligned to the school’s strategic goals and achievement targets. The school has very good systems and processes in place to promote children’s health and safety and wellbeing.
The board of trustees has a good mix of newer and experienced members. Trustees are dedicated to school improvement. They are very well informed by the principal and other school leaders who keep them updated about the impact of initiatives and resourcing. Reliable information enables trustees to make sound, responsive decisions that support student learning. They are planning very well to provide for the growing diversity in the school roll.
The school is signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the code. At the time of this review there were four international students attending the school.
Students are well integrated into school life and go through a good induction process. Students receive strong emotional support. There is a strong culture of inclusion in the school. Friendships are encouraged and in and out of school time. A buddy system is in place to help them settle. International students benefit from a wide range of opportunities, including sport, outdoor pursuits, cultural experiences and sound academic programmes.
Regular in-depth review of provision for international students is evident. Staff share responsibility for monitoring the wellbeing and learning of these students.
Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed the ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
Matarau School provides good quality education for students. Positive relationships between staff, students and families are a strong feature of the school that supports student wellbeing and learning. School improvements are enhanced by experienced, capable leaders and skilled teachers. Most students achieve at or above the National Standards.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in four-to-five years.
Dale Bailey Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
29 June 2015
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Location |
Kamo, Whangarei |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
1043 |
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School type |
Full Primary (Years 1 to 8) |
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School roll |
265 |
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Number of international students |
4 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 53% Girls 47% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Korean other European |
28% 69% 1% 2% |
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Special Features |
2 Māori bilingual classes - 30% Māori |
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Review team on site |
May 2015 |
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Date of this report |
29 June 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
August 2012 February 2009 January 2006 |