200 Drury Lane , Waikiwi, Invercargill
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.
Donovan school, located in the northwest of Invercargill, provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school’s roll is 384. Most students are New Zealand/Pākehā, with 21% Māori and smaller numbers of Pacific and Middle East, Latin and African learners. The school aims to have students who are resilient, empathetic, adaptable and lifelong learners.
A Ruru Special School satellite class is based onsite.
The school has evaluated how well teaching and learning have supported positive outcomes for learners. Deliberate professional development has promoted teachers’ collective understanding of learning and progression in teaching mathematics. As a result of this action, most learners are achieving well in mathematics.
Teachers enhance their practice through explicit training for delivering structured approaches to literacy and mathematics.
Leaders expected to see increased teaching capacity to identify and respond to learner needs for accelerated progress. A robust evaluation process is used to identify learners requiring further support. A variety of interventions results in increased achievement and engagement across all year levels of the school.
| 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.
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| 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 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 becoming more equitable for all groups of learners. |
| Writing | A large majority of 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 equitable for all groups of learners. |
The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards 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 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 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.
Leaders, with the board, staff, students and community, collaboratively set the school’s strategic vision and direction of the school. Leaders foster and maintain expectations for high quality teaching and equitable and excellence outcomes for all learners.
Staff use thorough systems and processes to identify students at risk of not achieving and evidence-based interventions increasingly target additional support for learners.
Learners have a rich and responsive curriculum that reflects their cultures and whānau aspirations; staff provide student-led opportunities to increase their agency (make choices, take initiative, and actively participate in their learning process).
Through ongoing staff inquiry, leaders and teachers work collaboratively to grow professional capability and a shared understanding of high-quality teaching practice.
Structured approaches to literacy and mathematics are a key focus for the school as it continues to enhance teaching knowledge and capacity through ongoing professional development.
Strong, positive relationships between the school and community are evident, including effective communication and consultation approaches that contribute to strategic planning.
The board are fully involved in strategic planning and resource initiatives to increase student attendance and achievement; trustees have specific focus on the wellbeing of all students.
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 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)
15 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 one month of the Education Review Office and Donovan Primary 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
Donovan Primary School is located in the northwest of Invercargill and provides education for students from Years 1 to 6. The student population comes from a broad socio-economic background and diverse cultures. A Ruru satellite class is based on site.
Donovan Primary School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Donovan Primary School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well teaching practices and programmes are supporting students to succeed in mathematics.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
The school expects to see that:
The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to raise achievement, particularly in mathematics.
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
11 July 2022
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
This school has a Ruru Specialist School satellite class on site.
As of May 2022, the Donovan Primary School Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
For further information please contact Donovan Primary 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
11 July 2022
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home