Our research

Starting school is a major childhood event. It can be an exciting time for children and their families. But it is a big change, and so it can also be an uncertain time. A good start at school sets children up to succeed at school. We looked to see how changing to cohort entry impacts on children, their peers, and whānau, as well as their schools and early childhood education services.

Starting school is a major childhood event. It can be an exciting time for children and their families. But it is a big change and can be an uncertain time. Since 2018, schools have been able to have children start in groups at certain dates during the year. This is called cohort entry. ERO found that cohort entry has a range of benefits for children’s wellbeing and learning, schools’ ability to structure transitions more easily, and for teachers due to fewer disruptions and more time to teach.

The disruptions caused by Covid-19 over the last two years have been challenging and long lasting. Auckland in particular has had many lockdowns and is where the majority of Pacific learners live.

Pacific communities have faced the challenges of Covid-19 with resilience and schools have put in a range of responses to support Pacific learners through the disruption. This report shines a light on these challenges and shares successful strategies.

The disruptions caused by Covid-19 over the last two years have been challenging and long lasting. ERO’s new report, Learning in a Covid-19 World: The Impact of Covid-19 on Pacific Learners, looks closely at the achievement, attendance, mental health and wellbeing, school contexts, and education pathways of Pacific learners over this time. The report shines a light on challenges and shares successful strategies.

Ko tā te pūrongo nei, he whakatakoto i ngā whakaaro huritao o ngā Kōhanga Reo mō tō rātou ake huarahi mātauranga. Kua kapohia atu ō rātou wawata ngātahi ki te whakarāpopototanga o ngā āhuatanga i whakaraupapahia ai ki te Whanaungatanga, te Rautaki, ngā Tikanga Māori, te Whakarauora i te Reo Māori, ngā Kaumātua, te Ako: Te Whakaako me te Ako, me te Ārahitanga.

This report is the reflection of Kōhanga Reo on their particular educational approach. Their collective aspirations are captured within the summary of conditions outlined as Whanaungatanga, Strategy, Tikanga Māori, Te Reo Resurgence, Kaumātua, Ako: Teaching and Learning, and Leadership.

E whakaatu ana tēnei pūrongo i te huarahi i whāia e Ngā Kura ā-Iwi ki te whakawhanake i a rātou anō ā-tangata takitahi, ā-whānau, ā-kura hoki. Kua kapohia atu ō rātou wawata ngātahi ki te whakarāpopototanga o ngā e kīia ana ko te Ako: Te Whakaako me te Ako; ko Te Whānau me te Whai Hononga; ko ngā Tikanga Māori; ko te Tuakiri. Ka whakatakoto tēnei aromātai i ngā whakaaturanga whai wheako e pā ana ki ngā Manu Pīrere, ki ā rātou whakatutukitanga, ā, ka tautohu i ngā āhuatanga puta noa i tō rātou huarahi ako.

This report is the reflection of Kura ā-Iwi on their developmental journeys, both as individuals, whānau and as kura. Their collective aspirations are captured within the summary of conditions outlined as Ako: Teaching & Learning, Whānau & Connectedness, Tikanga Māori (Māori process and protocol), and Tuakiri: Identity.

Kei te pūtake o tēnei pūrongo, koia ko te whakaaro huritao tahi o ngā kura kaupapa Māori i whai wāhi mai, arā, ko te huarahi i whāia ā-whānau kura, ā-tangata takitahi hoki, he kōrero mō ngā wawata o te katoa i whakatinanahia ai ki te whakatūnga, te whakapakaritanga, me te tiaki tonu hoki o ō rātou ake kura, me ā rātou ake kaupapa.

Central to this report is the common reflection of participating kura kaupapa Māori, that their journeys, both as individuals and as kura whānau, are stories of collective aspirations held within the narrative of establishment, building and subsequent maintenance of their respective kura and kaupapa.

I roto i Te Kura Huanui: Ko ngā kura o ngā ara angitu, ko ngā uiui me ngā whānau Māori, kaiārahi, kaiako, kaimahi, kaumātua hoki e tūhura ana i te ngākau titikaha o ngā hapori ki te whakarauora, ki te whakapakari hoki i te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori mō ā rātou mokopuna, tamariki, uri whakatupu anō hoki. 

Te Kura Huanui: The treasures of successful pathways and supporting documentaries explore the Māori-medium education pathway, through a rich collection of interviews and research conducted in partnership with early founders, whānau, leaders, graduates, kaiako, kaimahi and kaumatua.

New Zealand schools have one of the highest rates of bullying among OECD member countries. In this evaluation, ERO looked at the extent to which schools were effectively working towards an environment in which students feel safe and free from bullying.

A companion report to this one, Bullying Prevention and Response: Student Voice focuses on ERO’s survey of students on their experience and understandings of bullying and effective bullying prevention and response.

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.

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. 

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 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.

This national report is a companion report to Raising achievement in primary schools. It presents further findings of how some of the primary schools were using the Ministry-funded support projects - Accelerated Learning in Mathematics (ALiM) and Accelerated Learninig in Literacy (ALL) to accelerate progress and raise achievement.

ERO is interested in what happens in the classroom and also in how parents and the community can help in the education of school students. We have therefore evaluated the way schools engage their parents, whānau and community. The result is a collection of three reports on different aspects of Partners in Learning: the findings of the evaluation; examples of good practice; and the voices of parents. This report sets out the views of parents and others in the community about their role in the education of their children.