Tapu School

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 

Tapu School is a small school located north of Thames township on the Coromandel Peninsula and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The board appointed a new principal in Term 2 2024. The school’s mission statement is Whakaarohia, akohia, tau ke - Where thinking and learning are fun.

There are three parts to this report.

Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.

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

Part A: Previous Improvement Goals

Since the previous ERO report of August 2022, ERO and the school worked together to evaluate how well the school curriculum met the individual needs of every child.

Expected Improvements and Findings

The school expected to see:

Reporting to whānau reflecting progress made against set individual learning goals.

• Learners have individual learning goals to support their progress; reporting to whānau provides detailed information about their child’s achievement and next learning steps.

All learners, including those with diverse needs, progressing and achieving well in mathematics.

• Most students make good progress in mathematics and achieve well; a structured curriculum is in place to support their learning.

Te reo Māori provision strengthened within the school curriculum.

• The principal is strengthening the integration of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori within teaching and learning programmes.

Other Findings

During the course of the evaluation, it was found that the greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the strengthening of assessment practices and student achievement information to inform next steps in teaching and learning.

Part B: Current State

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

Learner Success and Wellbeing

• Almost all learners achieve at expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Learners have a strong sense of connectedness to their school; they experience a school culture that values their identity and language.
• The majority of students attend school regularly; the school is working towards the Government’s target for regular attendance.

Conditions to support learner success

• The principal prioritises effective teaching and learning practices for improved student wellbeing, progress and achievement outcomes.
• Leadership works collaboratively with staff and whānau to provide an inclusive and engaging learning environment for all learners.
• The principal is strengthening the school curriculum, developing programmes designed to meet the interests and needs of all learners.

• Teaching staff know students well; they plan and implement relevant, individual learning programmes that support each student to make progress and achieve.
• Staff take shared responsibility for student outcomes through using explicit teaching practices and well-paced learning opportunities within an inclusive learning environment.
• Teaching staff increasingly integrate te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori and local resources into teaching and learning programmes.

• Parents and whānau are respected partners in their child’s learning; the school is well supported by the wider local community to broaden curriculum experiences for learners.
• Leadership uses appropriate external expertise, including networking with other schools, that supports learners’ wellbeing and ongoing progress in learning.
• Teaching staff engage in relevant professional learning and development opportunities that are well aligned to school priorities.
• The board and leadership are establishing evaluation systems and practices that inform strategic planning and enable the close monitoring of student progress and achievement.

Part C: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• monitor and review attendance initiatives so that more learners attend regularly
• further develop and implement the school curriculum so that students have opportunities to learn across all learning areas
• strengthen evaluation systems and practices to inform ongoing strategic decision making and the impact of initiatives on student progress and achievement.

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

Within six months:

• consult with the community on the school’s strategic direction and curriculum priorities to support future planning
• establish a cohesive schoolwide curriculum framework to provide guidance for teaching and learning programmes
• develop a systematic approach to planning for school improvement that supports the regular evaluation of strategic initiatives and learner outcomes

Every six months:

• review student attendance information to identify initiatives that work and plan for further actions
• gather student, staff and whānau voice on the implemented curriculum and make refinements as needed
• review strategic initiatives, including student wellbeing and achievement information, to identify priorities for future planning

Annually:

• analyse and report to the board on student attendance, progress and achievement information to inform further actions
• evaluate the implementation of the refreshed curriculum to continually refine teaching and learning programmes.

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

• improved regular attendance and sustained progress and achievement for all learners
• learners experience a well-integrated curriculum that responds to whānau and school community aspirations
• effective internal evaluation processes that support strategic decision making and school improvement.

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

3 March 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

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of October 2024, the Tapu School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

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

• ensure police vets for non-teaching staff are renewed every three years.
  [s104 Education and Training Act 2020]

The board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Tapu School, 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.

Sharon Kelly
Acting Director of Schools

3 March 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