25 Hastings Street , Southbridge
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.
Southbridge School is in Canterbury’s Selwyn District and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school roll of 117 is predominantly Pākehā, with approximately 26% Māori learners and fewer numbers of Pacific, Asian and other ethnicities. The school’s vision is to Inspire, Equip and Ignite learners.
The school has been evaluating how well its curriculum and teaching and learning practices support positive outcomes for learners. Leaders expected to see a refined curriculum and consistent teaching practices throughout the school that foster curious, problem solving, self-managing learners with the potential to succeed.
Deliberate professional development promotes teachers’ collective understanding of play-based and project-based learning, alongside explicit training for delivering structured approaches to literacy and mathematics teaching. As a result of these actions, teaching fosters active learning with most learners achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics. Feedback identified strong engagement and enjoyment of classroom programmes. Learners express positive views of their own capabilities.
| 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 an increasingly 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 | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Mathematics | Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
The school is behind 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 not yet 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.
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows:
Within 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’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)
20 May 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 18 months of the Education Review Office and Southbridge 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
Southbridge School caters for learners from Years 0 to 6. It is located rurally in the Selwyn District, south of Christchurch. The school is a member of Ngā Mātāpuna o te Waihora Kāhui Ako.
Southbridge School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
inspire ākonga to be their best self
equip school whānau with tools for future success
ignite a passion for learning.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Southbridge School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school supports learners to develop across the breadth and depth of a holistic localised curriculum.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
the school has reviewed its strategic and annual planning aligned to a localised curriculum review that prioritises holistic successes for learners
staff professional development focuses on wellbeing underpinned by culturally responsive practices and relationships, as a foundation for enacting the school’s vision, values and goals
leaders are purposefully supporting teacher capability in core mathematics and literacy as well as supporting engaging teaching and learning through play and discovery across the curriculum.
The school expects to see consistent teaching practices that foster curious, problem solving, self-managing learners. All ākonga/students would see themselves as learners with the potential to succeed, who would identify personal holistic goals, and be supported to achieve them.
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to improve outcomes for learners:
an inclusive learning culture and community built on mutual respect, PB4L-based positive relationships, teamwork and shared values underpinned by a strong commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi
a localised curriculum and environment that encourages risk-taking, and is differentiated to be responsive to learner interests and strengths
a clearly aligned vision, strategic and annual planning supported by a shared culture of collaboration and inquiry for improvement, drawing on staff, board and community expertise.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
further developing play-based and project-based learning to enhance participation, engagement, discovery and agency of students
reviewing, streamlining and growing assessment tools and practices, including purposeful student and community voices informing practice
formalising approaches and plans for internal evaluation alongside strategic and annual planning priorities to monitor and measure the impact of enhanced practices on wellbeing and learner success.
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
28 April 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
As of October 2021, the Southbridge School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For further information please contact Southbridge 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.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
28 April 2023
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home