Our research

A quality, inclusive early childhood education is important for all children. It is especially important for children who need support to be fully included, and to learn and play alongside their peers. It helps them have better learning and life outcomes – both today and into their futures.

This report gives a snapshot of the current provision of te reo Māori teaching and learning in a representative sample of English-medium primary and secondary schools. The education sector is seen as an important lever in the Government’s Maihi Karauna strategy for language revitalisation.

Te Pou Mataaho, ERO’s evaluation and research group, and Te Uepū ā Motu, ERO’s national evaluation and review team, pursued this evaluation to provide an evidence base about the initial impacts of Covid-19 on Māori-medium education and how the sector responded.

This work explores global best practice for measuring education system change. It considers the variation found between different approaches to measuring education system change, looking particularly at how select individual countries and multilaterals each approach this.  This work will also consider what can support countries to monitor education performance.   

To understand what the challenges of Covid-19 were in 2020 and how schools responded, the Education Review Office spoke to schools and surveyed over 2500 principals and teachers across the country. This report presents our findings on how Covid-19 impacted students, teachers and schools, how schools responded and what they learnt, and the challenges schools expect they might face in future alert level changes.

Traditionally, children in Aotearoa start school on their firth birthday or any school day after that. Recent changes to the Education Act mean schools can now adopt cohort entry: enrolling children in groups on specific days across the year. Schools are choosing cohort entry to support positive transitions, wellbeing, and learning.

ERO looked at how well the education system is supporting disabled children in early childhood education. This guide provides practical advice and real-life examples of good practice for teachers, to support the inclusion and learning success of disabled children in your service.

This guide for boards draws on findings from ERO’s report Starting School Together: What Do We Know? and provides insights from schools that have changed to cohort entry. 

Public consultation document inviting the public to provide feedback on the substance and scope of the chosen topic of the Long-Term Insights Briefing: “Responding to Diverse Cultures: Schools’ Practice”.   

We invite your thoughts on the topic and scope of ERO’s Long-Term Insights Briefing: “Responding to Diverse Cultures: Schools’ Practice” to be published by the end of the 2022.

ERO is undertaking a series of evaluations on the implementation of Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa. This report examines how prepared services are to implement Te Whāriki, including their engagement with professional learning and development, and determining 'what matters here' and next steps.

Since 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to schools, their staff, learners, and whānau. Three years on from the start of the pandemic, this report has found significant and concerning ongoing impacts on learners’ progress, particularly for learners in poorer communities, and on teachers and principals.

This guide shares practical strategies and insights for principals, Special Education Needs Coordinators, Learning Support Coordinators, and other school leaders, to help you work with teacher aides to make a real difference for learners, together.

Disabled learners have the right to enrol and receive a quality, inclusive education at their local school. When disabled learners receive a quality, inclusive education they are more likely to achieve better outcomes, are more likely to complete secondary schooling and to go on to further study and employment. This study looked at how well the education system is supporting disabled learners. It found we need to improve education for disabled learners so they can thrive.

This is a companion report to Developing Key Competencies in Students Years 1 to 8. It explores current thinking about the importance of building the capabilities of young people. It outlines what the Key Competencies (KCs) are, why they are important, New Zealand’s journey with thinking about the nature and potential uses of KCs, and where this development fits in the international context.

ERO’s new report, Learning in a Covid-19 World: The Impact of Covid-19 on Pacific Learners, goes into detail about the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on Pacific learners’ achievement, attendance, mental health, wellbeing, and education pathways. It uses a range of evidence to shine a light on challenges and share successful strategies.

This short report, aimed at primary school leaders, sets out how prepared students and schools felt ahead of the Covid-19 lockdown in August and provides recommendations for how schools can support their students as they return to the classroom. 

Receiving a quality education, from early childhood education (ECE) through to secondary school, positively affects how well all children and young people do at school and in life – from academic achievement and earning potential to health and wellbeing. Education is even more critical for disabled learners. When disabled learners receive a quality, inclusive education they are more likely to achieve better outcomes, to complete secondary schooling and to go on to further study and employment.

ERO has a comprehensive and fast-tracked work programme underway to understand the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on students, services and schools, and on teaching and learning in Aotearoa New Zealand in the English and Māori medium education sectors.

This short report, aimed at secondary school leaders, sets out how prepared students and schools felt ahead of the Covid-19 lockdown in August and provides recommendations for how schools can support their students as they return to the classroom.