719 Thames Coast Road , Tapu, Thames
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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
Most students are engaged, make good progress and achieve well. |
- 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
Leadership is increasingly well placed to bring about key improvements for sustained achievement and wellbeing outcomes. |
- 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.
The curriculum provides meaningful learning opportunities for learners to gain sound foundational skills in literacy and mathematics. |
- 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.
School conditions that support positive learning and wellbeing outcomes for students are strengthening. |
- 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
Tapu School
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
Tapu School
Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and Tapu 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
Context
Tapu School is a sole charge school located on the Thames coast road in the settlement of Tapu. The school provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school values of thinking, learning and fun underpin a localised curriculum that ‘encourages life-long learning’.
Tapu School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
-
improving outcomes for all ākonga with particular focus on mathematics and te reo Māori
-
promoting a love of learning for all ākonga within a context-based curriculum
-
to provide a safe and stimulating environment for all ākonga to experience success and their personal best.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Tapu School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school curriculum meets the individual needs of every child.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school is a sole charge school with a small number of students. Each learner has individual planning to meet their educational and wellbeing needs. The evaluation will evidence the extent to which the school curriculum is providing opportunities for each student to ‘experience success and their personal best’ and improving learning outcomes.
The school expects to see:
-
reporting to whānau reflecting progress made against set individual learning goals
-
all learners, including those with diverse needs, progressing and achieving well mathematics and te reo Māori provision strengthened within the school curriculum.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to meet the needs of every child:
-
small numbers of children supported by a school that is well resourced to cater for diverse learning needs
-
well-established partnerships with whānau and the local community that promote a range of learning experiences within its local curriculum
-
caring relationships that promote student wellbeing.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
-
the growth of te reo Māori provision within the school
-
refining the teaching and learning of mathematics within the curriculum
-
working with students to ensure they are progressing well in relation to their individual goals.
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
15 August 2022
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
Tapu School
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2021 to 2024
As of September 2021, the Tapu School Board of Trustees 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
Further Information
For further information please contact Tapu School Board of Trustees.
The next Board of Trustees 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
15 August 2022
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