Tēnā koutou katoa
I hope you and your team enjoyed a restful break over the Easter school holidays and have returned to classrooms refreshed for another term.
In Term 1, we shared our new school reports with you. We recognise that changes to how information is presented can feel significant for schools, and we acknowledge the importance of getting this right for you and your community. Improved education outcomes for all students is at the heart of all we do, and we remain committed to working alongside schools to support continuous improvement.
ERO’s review approach has not changed.
We remain committed to Te Ara Huarau, and walking alongside you during our review process. We will continue to use the School Improvement Framework (SIF) with you to arrive at judgement levels. These SIF levels are the ones presented in the new reports.
We know that context matters. Our evaluators take the time to understand your school’s unique context and the story behind the numbers. Each judgement is supported by narrative commentary to provide essential context.
The reports will celebrate what schools are doing well and acknowledge the good progress schools are making for their students, often in challenging circumstances. There is an increased focus on this in the new reports.
In high EQI contexts, evaluators explicitly consider the extent to which achievement outcomes are influenced by structural, historical, and community factors beyond a school’s direct control. This consideration informs how evidence is interpreted, judgements reached, and how findings are described in the narrative.
For example: we recently spoke with a school who has been really struggling to recruit teachers for some time. Teaching practice is not of the high quality that the school leadership wants it to be. The judgement for teaching is ‘working towards’ and the report will set out that the school leadership and board is aware of this and has a deliberate and appropriate programme of support to grow staff capability and to recruit and stabilize the workforce.
Schools have unique contexts, strengths, and challenges. For this reason, we do not publish an overall judgement and have designed our new reports to make it difficult to compile league tables.
Introducing the Raupapa Ako Framework
Our newest tool, the Raupapa Ako Framework (RAF), is now on our website for you to download and use as part of your own internal evaluation. The RAF is an improvement framework designed specifically for rumaki and reo rua settings, supporting high-quality education for ākonga.
There's more about the RAF and a link to the framework in today's newsletter.
Thank you
Thank you for welcoming our evaluators into your schools. We see wonderful things happening for students every day, and we acknowledge your commitment and contribution to their success.
Do you have questions about your review?
If you are scheduled for a review this term, and you have any questions, worries or concerns that you want to discuss with us, we’ll be hosting an online hui on Wednesday 13 May, 1pm-2pm to address your questions.
Please email [email protected] to register for this hui.
Introducing the Raupapa Ako Framework
We are pleased to introduce you to our newest tool for school improvement - the Raupapa Ako Framework (RAF). The RAF is an improvement framework to support high-quality Māori-medium immersion education in English-medium settings. The RAF draws upon what we know makes the biggest impact for learners in rumaki and reo rua.
How will schools and ERO use the RAF?
Schools with rumaki/reo rua will use the RAF as an internal evaluation tool when considering outcomes for ākonga. The RAF will help you to identify where your school is on your improvement journey, identify the next steps and monitor progress effectively for continual improvement.
ERO’s Toki ao Mārama / Te Reo Māori Advisors will use the completed framework to guide their work with the rumaki/reo rua to support your approaches to excellence for ākonga Māori.
Aligning with the School Improvement Framework
The RAF aligns with our School Improvement Framework, ensuring that a consistent and considered approach to improvement is taken across an entire school for learners and their whānau.
Find the RAF on our website
The RAF, in both te reo Māori and English is on our website for you to download and explore: Raupapa Ako Framework (RAF) | Education Review Office.
ERO's research and insights: practical good practice guides and resources for schools
Did you know ERO has a dedicated evidence website?
Go to evidence.ero.govt.nz for all of our research reports, practical guides, and other useful resources.