Heretaunga College

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  

Heretaunga College is a co-educational secondary school for students in Years 9 to 13 located in Heretaunga|Upper Hutt. The school is a managing school for the Titiro Whakamaua Teen Parent Unit and Koranui Alternative Education programme. A new principal has been appointed since the school’s last review. 

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  

• In 2024, a small majority of ākonga achieved the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Level 1; a large majority achieved at levels 2 and 3; few ākonga earned endorsements and University Entrance (UE).
• Few Years 9 and 10 ākonga, in 2024, achieved at the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Ākonga express that they are well-supported by staff and have a range of learning opportunities; wellbeing data is yet to be regularly gathered and analysed to inform next steps.
• The school is behind the Ministry of Education target for regular attendance; there is an appropriate plan in place to improve schoolwide attendance. 

Conditions to support learner success 

• The school principal has a strong vision for school improvement and is creating the necessary conditions for all members of the school community to contribute to this.
• Leadership is establishing relational trust and professional collaboration across the school focused on improved outcomes for ākonga.
• School leaders have identified key improvement goals and are actively developing an action plan to achieve them, aiming to improve student outcomes. 

• Key changes to curriculum delivery in Years 9 and 10 creates more opportunity for collaborative learning, with a stronger emphasis on the foundational areas of literacy and mathematics.
• A well-established learning support system ensures that ākonga with additional learning needs receive appropriate support.
• A range of vocational pathways are offered to ākonga, supporting their active participation and engagement in these programmes.

• The school is in the early stages of developing cohesive evidence informed practices enabling staff to be more responsive to ākonga strengths and needs.
• Leaders and teachers have begun to engage in professional learning to improve knowledge of te ao Māori and the mātauranga of local hapū and iwi to actively implement culturally responsive practices across the school.
• The conditions for professional collaborative practices are established and aligned to the school's improvement goals and ākonga needs.
• The board has prioritised ongoing professional learning and development, to better understand its roles and responsibilities in representing the school community and ensuring successful outcomes for all ākonga.  

Part B: Where to next?  

The agreed next steps for the school are to:  

• build leadership capability and capacity to support staff develop their professional practice for improved and equitable outcomes for all ākonga
• grow staff capability in data analysis and evidence-informed practices to better respond to the needs of all ākonga, especially in multi-level classrooms
• understand and embed culturally responsive practices schoolwide, to enhance ākonga engagement and wellbeing, and to improve outcomes
• fully implement the attendance plan
• ensure effective governance and that the board fulfils its obligations, including to te Tiriti o Waitangi, through robust reviews and well-considered succession planning. 

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

Within six months: 

• clear expectations for high quality teaching and learning practices are established and monitored through the professional growth cycle
• leaders engage in professional learning for coaching and mentoring staff, to support critically their reflective practices, aimed at improving teaching, learning and outcomes for ākonga 

Within a year: 

• school leaders engage with ākonga and the wider school community to gather their aspirations and expectations for the school's values, curriculum and valued outcomes; this is aimed at enhancing ākonga engagement and improving attendance and achievement
• staff continue with professional learning to boost their confidence and capability to offer culturally connected learning to enhance ākonga engagement
• a robust professional growth cycle is implemented, focused on improving teacher practice and leading to improved outcomes for all ākonga

Every six months: 

• staff rigorously analyse and scrutinise schoolwide achievement data to understand the impact of teaching practice and programmes on learner outcomes and to further inform planning
• analysed learner progress and attendance data for all year groups is reported to the board and used to inform decisions about teaching and learning
• ākonga and whānau voice are collected to inform ongoing planning and decision making 

Annually: 

• board and staff rigorously analyse schoolwide achievement, progress and wellbeing data to evaluate the impact of teaching practice and programmes on learner outcomes and to inform decision making for the next school year
• ākonga, whānau and wider community voice is collected as part of schoolwide evaluation to inform improvement actions
• the school board to implement a process of self-evaluation to ensure the effectiveness of their own performance. 

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

• improved and enhanced ākonga attendance, engagement and achievement
• evidence-informed teaching and learning that meets the needs of all ākonga, especially those most at risk of underachievement
• strengthened systems and processes of internal evaluation resulting in improved teaching practices, and outcomes for all ākonga
• school leaders, staff, whānau, ākonga, and wider community members collectively making decisions about and evaluating a school curriculum and practices, that meet their aspirations and results in successful outcomes for all ākonga. 

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) 

​​22 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 

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report ​2025​ to ​2028​

As of ​March 2025​, the ​Heretaunga College​ 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​ 

Further Information 

For further information please contact ​Heretaunga College​, 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 
Director of Schools (Acting) 

​​22 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 

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background 

This Profile Report was written within 2 years of the Education Review Office and ​Heretaunga College​ 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  

Heretaunga College is a co-educational secondary school for students in Years 9 to 13 located in Upper Hutt. The school is a managing school for the Titiro Whakamaua teen parent unit and Koranui alternative education programme. There is a new principal since the school’s last review. The school’s vision for learners is that they become connected, creative, resilient and engaged citizens. 

Heretaunga College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to: 

• prepare Upper Hutt youth for life as engaged, informed and educated citizens 

• create connection and build meaningful relationships 

• create a place in which it is safe for ākonga to express themselves, think critically and to broaden their horizons 

• make learning inspirational, engaging and enriching, fostering life-long learning 

• encourage ākonga to have confidence, to explore boundaries and to find their passion. 

At the time of this report the school was in consultation with the community to establish new strategic priorities for school direction. 

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on ​Heretaunga College​’s website. 

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the implementation of culturally responsive curriculum, teaching practice and relationships to improve student engagement and learning. 

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school has identified a need to:  

• improve student attendance at school and engagement in learning  

• improve the achievement of learners at all levels and ensure equitable learning and wellbeing outcomes for all groups of students, particularly Māori students 

• build the capability of teaching staff to enact the school’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

The school expects to see an increasing proportion of junior, senior and Māori students:  

• attending regularly 

• experiencing a sense of belonging in the school  

• making progress and achieving success in learning. 

Strengths  

The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to improve student engagement and success in learning: 

• ongoing curriculum development that responds to the interests and aspirations of students 

• a schoolwide focus on teaching practices that are adapted to meet the learning needs of students  

• well established structures, roles and programmes that meet the diverse wellbeing needs of students. 

Where to next? 

Moving forward, the school will prioritise: 

• developing shared understandings of the school’s responsibilities to enact and embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi 

• strengthening community connections and partnerships particularly with iwi and whānau Māori  

• fostering effective, culturally responsive relationships and teaching practices 

• strengthening assessment practices and the analysis of achievement and learning information to better know about progress, achievement and next steps in Years 9 and 10. 

ERO has concerns about  

• The ongoing review of operational policies and the alignment of practice to related procedures. 

• The delay in development of strategic planning in consultation with the school community. 

Recommendation 

• Trustees and school leaders need to prioritise the customisation of the new school policy framework; adhere to the regular review schedule; develop their understandings of appropriate assurance reporting and support staff to engage meaningfully with procedures. 

• Prioritisation of strategic planning to guide school improvement and direction. 

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.  

​​Shelley Booysen​ 
Director of Schools​ 

​​31 August 2023​   

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