Kia ora koutou,

The end of the school year is very fast approaching, and although we are excited for the holidays, it also comes with the realisation that this is the last few days with our wonderful Year 8 students. We are incredibly proud of our Year 8's, watching them grow and mature over the years is a real privilege and they truly are a special bunch of students. They are kind, caring, and respectful and encompass all of Puketaha's 6 C’s. We will be holding back the tears on Monday when we formally farewell them. 

On Monday night, we held our last Board of Trustees meeting for the year, where we shared our End of Year data report and analysis. Our students overall, are experiencing high levels of progress and achievement. I would like to acknowledge the huge effort, skill and dedication of our teachers to help our students experience success, as well as the ongoing partnerships with families. Here is an overview of the school-wide data. 

Overarching Statements for all three Curriculum Areas

Reading- 94% of children are At or Above Curriculum Expectations

• 6% are achieving Below Curriculum Expectations
• 68% are achieving At Curriculum Expectations
• 26% are achieving Above Curriculum Expectations

Writing- 85% of children are achieving At or Above Curriculum Expectations

• 16% are achieving Below Curriculum Expectations
• 77% are achieving At Curriculum Expectations
• 8% are achieving Above Curriculum Expectations

Mathematics- 90% of children are achieving At or Above Curriculum Expectations 

• 10% are achieving Below Curriculum Expectations
• 67% are achieving At Curriculum Expectations
• 23% are achieving Above Curriculum Expectations

Our Maaori tamariki are performing slightly higher than non-Maaori in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. While girls and boys achieve at similar levels in Reading and Mathematics, there is some disparity in Writing, where girls are performing slightly better than boys. Boys writing achievement in certain year groups will be a focus for 2025. 

We also had ERO (Education Review Office) in week six of this term. The Education Review Office evaluates schools to ensure they meet legal requirements, provide high-quality education, and support improvement to help all children succeed. Although we were glad when the week was over, we were proud of the positive feedback ERO gave us. The full report will be published early next year, but here is an insight into some of the aspects that will be reflected in the final report…

Strategic Planning & Relationships: The school is committed to a collaborative approach to strategic planning, fostering strong relationships, and creating conditions that support learner success. A deliberate focus on building relationships with mana whenua and improving communication with parents, families, and whānau has strengthened partnerships for learning.

Effective Leadership: Leadership at the school builds a learning community focused on equity, excellence, and shared decision-making to ensure continuous improvement.

Teaching Consistency: Clear guidelines and expectations for teaching are regularly monitored to maintain high-quality teaching practices across the school.

Responsive Curriculum: Teachers deliver a rich and responsive curriculum that engages students and promotes achievement, supported by targeted assessments.

Cultural Learning: Strengthened learning in te reo, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori supports the holistic needs of Māori students and enriches learning for all students.

Student Support: Students at risk of not achieving are identified early, and interventions are implemented to meet their diverse learning needs.

Professional Development: Ongoing professional learning, coaching, and mentoring align with school priorities and support effective teaching practice.

Differentiated Planning: Highly detailed and differentiated planning is well-informed through a range of assessment information and effectively responds to learners’ strengths and needs.

Our Next Steps will include…

• Continue to sustain high levels of overall achievement and challenge students to excel and achieve excellence.
• Enhance opportunities for all students to grow as self-determined learners and experience success.
• Review the school’s expectations and progressions to align with the new Curriculum and Government priorities for teaching, learning, and assessment.

This being our final newsletter for the year, I would like to thank everyone for their support over the year, and in particular with the events of the fire this term and we are all very proud to be part of such a fantastic school community. Have a lovely Christmas and we look forward to 2025!

Ngaa mihi,

Nyree Olliver