5668 Kenepuru Road , Picton
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.
Waitaria Bay School provides education for learners in Year 1 to 8. There are currently 8 learners enrolled in the school. European/Pākehā learners are 62% of the school roll with 38% Māori learners. The school’s vision is Kia tū, kia māia, kia rere – Stand tall, be brave, fly high and learners are encouraged to know and use the school’s ARIA values – Aspiration, Respect, Initiative, 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 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 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 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 | Almost all learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | Almost all learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Mathematics | Almost all 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 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 and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau 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.
Learners express a strong sense of belonging and connection to the school’s values. Learners are well supported through school-wide inclusive practices.
Leaders use assessment information and feedback from learners, staff and the community well to plan for and monitor strategic improvement priorities.
Leaders foster a culture of high-quality teaching through building strong connections with whānau, parents and the community. Leaders ensure professional growth opportunities for support staff.
Structured literacy is embedded across the school; a structured mathematics programme is being implemented and supported by targeted professional learning.
Professional growth is prioritised to strengthen high-quality teaching practices to improve outcomes for all learners. Leaders ensure professional growth opportunities for support staff and professional learning opportunities are strategically aligned with the school’s improvement goals.
A school-wide understanding and planned approach of evaluation for improvement is developing.
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within 6 six 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 has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
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 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)
16 April 2025
This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Waitaria Bay School is a rural school located in the Kenepuru Sounds in Marlborough. It is a full primary school with a roll of 8 students.
The school’s mission statement is ‘A quality education today, so that our children are prepared for tomorrow’. The mission is supported by a vision of ‘successful learners who strive for personal excellence with an active partnership between home, school and the community’. The school values include assertiveness, tolerance, respect and inclusiveness.
The board’s strategic direction is to accelerate students’ learning and engagement. This is reflected in the school’s annual achievement targets for students to accelerate progress in writing and mathematics.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
Since the 2015 ERO review there has been some staff turnover and a new trustee has joined the board. Building upgrades have been completed to better support provision of a modern learning environment.
Waitaria Bay School is a member of the Te Wheke Akoranga Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning.
The school is making good progress meeting the learning needs of its 8 students. Achievement information for 2017 and 2018 indicates all students achieved at or above curriculum expectations for reading, writing and mathematics.
The principal and school staff are developing ways of continuing to accelerate the learning of all students in reading, writing and mathematics. This particularly includes accelerating the learning of those students at the expected curriculum level to above the level in these learning areas.
The school’s localised curriculum is a strength in enabling students to engage in learning and achieve success. Activities and programmes draw effectively on the local rural environment to provide broad learning experiences. Students are encouraged to take responsibility, make decisions and take the lead in their learning. The school’s values of culture, respect, inclusiveness and initiative are highly evident within the learning environment.
Teachers have a strong focus on meeting individual wellbeing and learning needs. They are reflective about what makes a positive difference for students and adjust their practice accordingly. Teachers engage in respectful interactions with students in an inclusive multi-level learning environment. They provide meaningful feedback to students on their work and use a range of teaching strategies to support students’ ongoing progress.
Students have purposeful opportunities to experience tikanga in authentic and meaningful contexts. Bicultural practices are well integrated across the curriculum, with a growing emphasis on te reo Māori. Students play an active role as Kaitiaki (guardians and protectors) of the local area. They fully participate in ‘Kereru’s Kitchen’, a programme to eradicate pests and increase the native bird population in the local area. There is a strong emphasis on sustaining the natural environment.
There is a high level of relational trust within the school. The board actively represents and serves the school. The principal models effective partnerships for learning. The board and principal value the different strengths that whānau bring to the school community. It is well informed by the principal on student progress and achievement. Trustees work well together and are knowledgeable about their governing responsibilities.
ERO, the board and leadership agree that developing a deeper understanding of internal evaluation is a key next step. This will enable the school to base decision making on the knowledge of what is working effectively and what needs to change to ensure ongoing positive outcomes for all students.
The school is in the early stages of implementing a new teacher appraisal system. Ensuring the appraisal system is fully embedded, including the use of teacher inquiry, will assist in building teacher knowledge and capability and further support positive learner outcomes.
Students’ learning would benefit from increased support to further develop their ability to understand and manage their own learning, and increase their knowledge and skills related to student agency.
Before the review, the board 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 the following:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Waitaria Bay School’s performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.
ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.
For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:
For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are in:
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
10 July 2019
| Location | Picton |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 3064 |
| School type | Full Primary |
| School roll | 8 |
| Gender composition | Boys 4, Girls 4 |
| Ethnic composition | NZ European/Pākehā: 8 |
| Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) | No |
| Provision of Māori medium education | No |
| Review team on site | May 2019 |
| Date of this report | 10 July 2019 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review June 2015 Education Review April 2012 |