Our research

There are 14 activity centres in New Zealand that cater for secondary school students (Years 9 ‑ 13) who are at risk of disengaging from mainstream schooling and at risk of low educational, social and vocational outcomes. Activity centres are established by agreement of the Minister of Education. Priority is given to those students whose behaviour is likely to impede their own learning and the learning of others, and who are most likely to benefit from the programme.

This report provides findings from ERO's evaluation of how well schools were promoting and supporting student wellbeing through sexuality education.

It includes high-level findings, examples of good practice and recommendations for schools and policy audiences. It is accompanied by a series of short publications for whānau, students, and trustees.

Brochures aimed at students, whānau and Boards of Trustees are also available.

This report shares strategies and approaches from schools that had contributed to improving achievement by developing genuine learning partnerships with parents. It also includes some simple strategies a few of the schools used to involve parents more in supporting the things children were learning at school.

In this evaluation, ERO wanted to find out how aware and confident leaders and kaiako in early learning services were as they began to work with the updated curriculum, Te Whāriki (2017).

In 2008 the Education Review Office evaluated schools’ provision for gifted and talented students.

This evaluation studies effective practice in schools’ senior curriculum. It contributes to the review being undertaken by the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). The Ministry-led review focuses on the implementation of NCEA as the national assessment system for the senior years of secondary schooling. 

Improvement in Action brings to life ERO’s School Evaluation Indicators and illustrates what works to achieve successful outcomes for all children and young people in the education system.

The case studies complement the video sequences in Improvement in Action.

The Education Review Office (ERO) has released the latest in its Teaching Strategies that Work series. “Keeping children engaged and achieving in reading” is a description of strategies used by primary schools which have significantly improved their students’ achievement in reading.

Auckland is New Zealand’s most culturally diverse city, with over 100 ethnicities and more than 150 languages spoken on a daily basis. How are schools and early learning services in Auckland responding to this increasing cultural and language diversity? This question was the basis for a new evaluation published by ERO Responding to Language Diversity in Auckland. 

High quality assessment and evaluation allows us to focus on student progress and outcomes at classroom, school and system levels.  It helps teachers, schools and systems to report on student achievement across points in time, and provide information for parents, trustees and the public about the quality of education. 

The findings of this evaluation highlight improvements to the quality and consistency of the RTLB service, especially in overall governance and management. 

The Education Review Office (ERO) visited 12 schools to see how they were preparing their students as 21st century learners. Leaders were innovative, rethinking and transforming teaching and learning to equip students with the knowledge, skills and qualifications required for their future. In doing so, they also maximised learning opportunities offered by digital technology and flexible learning spaces.

In July 2015, ERO signed a three year Service Agreement with the Education Council to carry out teacher appraisal audits. This report presents our findings from the 2016-2017 audit.

This Education Review Office (ERO) report is one of a series of reports on teaching strategies that work. It features strategies and approaches that we observed in 40 primary schools selected from across New Zealand. These schools came from a database of 129 schools, all with rolls of 200 or more, in which the proportion of students in the upper primary years (Years 5 to 8) achieving at or above the national standard had increased. In each case achievement levels were also above average for the decile.

This article originally appeared in ERO Insights - Term 1, 2018 and explores how the ethnic diversity of the primary and secondary school roll has changed in New Zealand since 2009, and whether these changes are leading to more diverse or more segregated schools.

Evaluation insights by the ERO, alongside contributions from the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust and kōhanga reo whānau inform the findings of this report, which highlights effective practice in kōhanga reo, specifically the support children need to grow and thrive through a quality immersion pathway.

E whakakoia ana tēnei aromātai i te tino hua motuhake o te mātauranga rumaki reo Māori o te kounga kairangi, me te hāpai whakahirahira anō hoki o tēnei i te tamaiti, mai i tōna whānautanga mai. Kei te mārama pū ngā kitenga, a, e whakatau ana hoki i te ariā e kī ana, e āhei ake ana ngā tamariki ki te eke angitu hei ākonga nā te noho ki tētahi taiao e whakanui ana, e whakamana ana hoki i te reo, te ahurea, me te tuakiri.

In this evaluation, ERO met with newly graduated teachers (NGTs) and leaders in early learning services and schools to find out how confident and prepared NGTs were as a result of their ITE programme.

He maha ngā kura o Niu Tireni e whakarākei ana i a rātou tikanga ako, ngā pūnaha, ngā taiao, te whakamahinga o ngā hangarau matihiko, me te āhua o te mahi tahi ki kura kē atu kia ea ai ngā matea o ngā ākonga mōroki. Ko Ngā Tikanga Ako Moroki o Niu Tireni tēnei (MLP).

This evaluation looks at teaching approaches and strategies used in schools where there has been a significant increase in the number of students at or above National Standards in the upper primary school years (Years 5 to 8). We wanted to learn more about any short-term interventions or long-term strategies that may have been influential in bringing about these positive achievement trajectories. We have shared and discussed our findings from some of the 40 schools we visited.