39 Somerville Road , Howick South, Auckland
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.
Somerville Intermediate is a large Year 7 and Year 8 school. The school features a modern learning environment and serves a multicultural population. Leaders and teachers value excellence and creating an environment where every learner can be the best they can be.
| How well are learners succeeding? | Success and progress for all learners is increasing. |
| What is the quality of teaching and learning? | Learners benefit from excellent 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 high quality education for learners are driving excellent school performance. |
| 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 | A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Mathematics | A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
The school is exceeding 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 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 significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
The school has significantly extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
The school is making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
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 have regular opportunities to reflect on their own learning, and to improve their own skills through a broad range of curricular activities, including mātauranga Māori activities.
A strategic and experienced leadership team ensure school planning and conditions support high expectations for all learners. Actions to support students' wellbeing and inclusion are regularly evaluated and prioritised.
Structured mathematics, reading and writing are consistently well taught across the school, by highly skilled teachers with a deep understanding of the learners’ needs. Additional support for English language learners is seamlessly woven into programmes, through repetition, scaffolded learning and vocabulary-rich tasks.
The school values improving each learner’s dispositions and critical thinking to support successfully transitions into secondary school.
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
Every six months:
Annually:
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.
At the time of this review there were 23 international students attending the school, and 0 exchange students.
Somerville Intermediate School provides a high-quality education and inclusive pastoral support for its international learners.
Regular feedback about provisions for international learners is sought and acted on. International learners and their families consistently report their positive experiences of education at the school.
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)
22 May 2025
This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Somerville Intermediate School in Howick caters for learners in Years 7 and 8 learners. The school roll of approximately 930 students includes four percent Māori students and three percent of Pacific heritage. Chinese and Indian children make up a third of the roll and there are also small groups from other ethnic backgrounds.
The school’s overarching vision is for staff and students to be “the best you can be”. Values of care, kindness and collaboration support a focus on the holistic growth, safety and wellbeing of students and staff. The school places value on character traits of excellence, positive attitude, perseverance, integrity and respect.
Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:
The school is part of the Waipaparoa Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako.
The school is successful in promoting consistently equitable and excellent outcomes for students.
School achievement information from the past four years shows that most students achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
Māori students now achieve at comparable levels to other students in the school. Parity for Māori students in reading and writing achievement has been increased over time. Pacific students’ achievement is closely monitored. School data show that Pacific students have made very good accelerated progress in reading and writing. The school is successfully reducing disparity in achievement between boys and girls.
Students demonstrate other valued outcomes, which include:
The school is effectively accelerating learning for Māori and other students who need this. Student achievement information shows good examples of accelerated progress over time in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as in English as a second language.
Curriculum and syndicate leaders provide effective support for teachers to engage students in their learning and accelerate their progress. Teachers use clear benchmarks and expectations to measure students’ learning. Students are carefully monitored and supported to achieve their potential.
Leaders and teachers personalise programmes to support individual learning needs. They work collaboratively with a strong focus on the whole child and their learning and wellbeing. Students needing additional assistance are well supported through effective intervention programmes. Additional support includes a focus on improving students’ oral language to ensure a good foundation for ongoing learning.
The school is well led. The principal fosters an environment of professional collaboration through distributed leadership opportunities. Staff are respected and empowered to develop their expertise and leadership skills.
Student leadership is valued and promoted. Learners are well supported to develop self-esteem, confidence and social skills.
Leaders and teachers demonstrate professionalism and high expectations. They value continuous improvement. The leadership team strongly promotes equity and excellence for all students. Leaders are solution focused and grounded in theory. They are open to new learning and enjoy new challenges. Teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching practices and are encouraged to trial new and innovative approaches. Professional learning and development supports school goals and individual initiatives. Peer coaching is promoted. Leaders and teachers make considered decisions and implement improvements through planned change processes.
Students have access to the breadth and depth of the New Zealand Curriculum in an environment where they feel safe. The school’s vision, mission and values are embedded and well enacted in the school culture. Student engagement is high. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers facilitate learning that is relevant to students’ interests and ignites a passion for learning in many students.
Student wellbeing is a school priority. Student outcomes are at the centre of all decision making. Leaders and teachers know their students and whānau well and are advocates for students. Intentional programmes support smooth transitions from primary school and into secondary schools. A culture of collective responsibility for students is promoted, including strong parent partnerships and trusting relationships. Students demonstrate caring attitudes with each other.
The experienced board provides capable governance. Committed trustees have a strong focus on students’ holistic development and the wellbeing of staff and students. Trustees make considered decisions based on comprehensive reporting about student achievement and curriculum initiatives.
Trustees, leaders and teachers recognise the benefits of developing greater understanding of bicultural practices and increasing shared leadership in this area. It is timely to review the integration and sustainability of bicultural practices and Treaty of Waitangi principles across the school.
Leaders and teachers acknowledge that they could further investigate and extend students’ agency. This would further develop teachers as facilitators of learning, and increase students’ opportunities to guide their own learning choices and pathways.
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:
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
At the time of this review there were 26 international students attending the school, including 12 exchange students.
International students progress and achieve very well in a welcoming and inclusive environment. High standards of pastoral care support their wellbeing. The school offers very good quality English language provision for students. International students are integrated well into the school’s learning programmes and are immersed in all aspects of school and community life.
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:
ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in four-to-five years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
11 October 2018
| Location | Howick, Auckland |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 6760 |
| School type | Intermediate |
| School roll | 932 |
| Gender composition | Boys 52% Girls 48% |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 4% Pākehā 42% Chinese 19% Indian 14% African 5% other Asian 7% Pacific 3% other 6% |
| Students with Ongoing Resourcing Funding (ORS) | Yes |
| Provision of Māori medium education | No |
| Review team on site | August 2018 |
| Date of this report | 11 October 2018 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review June 2014 Education Review November 2009 Education Review November 2006 |