ERO Issuing New School Reports From Term 2, Focused On Providing Clarity For Parents To Understand School Performance

The Education Review Office (ERO) is overhauling their school review reports to better enable parents and whānau to understand school performance and engage in their child’s learning.

ERO Chief Review Officer Ruth Shinoda said the new reports will lift standards of education by providing parents with clear, useful and accessible information about schools in the areas that matter most to their child’s education.

"We wanted to make sure that parents and whānau can easily understand our reports, so they are empowered to ask good questions, make good choices, and get involved in their child’s education," says Ms Shinoda.

"We talked to parents all over the country, and they told us that our reports needed to change - that they need better, clearer information about school quality. We heard them and have overhauled our school reports, making them much easier to understand. Crucially, they are more sharply focused on the things that make the biggest difference to learner success and wellbeing - including attendance, progress, achievement and assessment."

The new reports also have an increased focus on progress - celebrating where schools are doing well in lifting student outcomes.

"Parents and whānau will be able to clearly see what’s working well in a school, and what needs attention - and they will be able to see the clear pathway for schools to follow to lift student outcomes. Equally, the reports are a critical document for school leaders - so they know what to focus on to lift student success," says Ms Shinoda.

Alongside an easy-to-understand picture of how well the school is doing for parents, the new reports provide a clear roadmap for improvement focusing on the key things that will make the most difference for students. This will enable schools to make changes and get the support they need in a transparent way. The reports will also celebrate progress schools have made.

"Every day, our specialist reviewers are in schools across the country, evaluating school performance and providing guidance on improving schooling practices - focusing on what makes a school great for students," says Ms Shinoda.

"Ultimately these changes will drive improvement for education for every learner in New Zealand. They will enable parents and whānau to engage more effectively in their child’s education and be informed on how well their school is doing. They will also support schools with clear actions for every school, so that school leaders can pay attention to shifting what matters most."

ERO reviewers will begin using the new report format for all schools - primary, intermediate and secondary - in Term 2 this year.

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