88 Rokino Road , Taupo
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.
Hilltop School is in Taupō and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is consistently around 580 students. Māori learners make up 22% of the school roll, with growing ethnic diversity. The school values of responsibility/kawenga, kindness/aroha, respect/whakaute and integrity/mana are embedded across the school and support positive learning and inclusion. Learners are encouraged to participate in a wide range of opportunities, to become lifelong learners.
ERO and the school worked together to evaluate how well learner-centred and culturally responsive teaching and learning practices impact equitable and excellent outcomes for learners.
The school expected to see:
During the course of the evaluation, it was found that progress and achievement outcomes for learners in reading, writing and mathematics has remained consistent over time with a large majority of learners achieving at and above curriculum expectations. A large majority of Māori learners achieve at and above curriculum expectations in reading and mathematics, with slightly fewer achieving at expected levels in writing. Inequity is evident for some groups of learners in reading, writing and mathematics; continuing to reduce disparity in achievement is a focus for leaders and teachers.
Structured literacy approaches across the school are leading to improved engagement and positive outcomes for learners in reading and writing. Teachers’ participation in professional learning for literacy and mathematics has strengthened consistency of high-quality teaching, learning and assessment practices across the school.
| 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 a 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. |
This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.
Foundation Skills | |
| 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 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. |
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.
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.
The school has 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 Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and is likely to meet them by 2030.
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 three months:
Every six months:
Annually:
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
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’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
Acting Director of Schools
28 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 12 months of the Education Review Office and Hilltop 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
Hilltop School is located in Taupō and provides education for students in Years 1-8. Learners are encouraged to participate in a wide range of opportunities and there are clear pathways for lifelong learning.
Hilltop School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
to ensure students have effective, sufficient and equitable opportunities to learn and succeed
to effectively use assessment to inform ongoing improvement
to embed culturally responsive and adaptive teaching and learning practices.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Hilltop School’s website. www.hilltop.org.nz
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well learner-centred and culturally responsive teaching and learning practices are impacting equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
to improve outcomes for a significant number of learners in literacy with a specific focus on writing
the opportunity it provides to better understand and respond to the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices in writing.
The school expects to see planned improvement in schoolwide collective responsibility for delivering a contextually connected, engaging and responsive writing programme, resulting in all students having sufficient and equitable opportunities to learn and achieve at their appropriate level.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how well learner-centred and responsive teaching and learning practices are impacting equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.
A clear, precise plan that clarifies actions and provides indicators of success.
Established processes and systems for assessment and data analysis.
Collaborative leadership and staff committed to improving outcomes of equity and excellence for all learners.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
supporting teachers to strengthen knowledge and practice focused on a culturally connected, engaging and responsive writing programme
embedding effective systems and processes for gathering, analysing and using evidence of student learning and outcomes to improve individual and collective practice.
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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
2 August 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 December 2021, the Hilltop School Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For further information please contact Hilltop School Board of Trustees.
The next Board of Trustees assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements is due in December 2024.
Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
22 February 2022
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home