Cust School
473 Early's Road, Cust · Canterbury
Composite score
Strong
Latest ERO review
2018-02-05 · Lesley Patterson, Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
- The school is effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for almost all children, with positive outcomes in literacy and numeracy sustained at or above expected levels since 2014
- Boys' achievement in writing in 2016 was significantly lower than girls', and the school has identified and targeted this as a concern
- Māori learner achievements are consistent with those for the whole school, with targeted strategies being developed to affirm and strengthen their sense of identity
- Strong professional leadership and clear improvement-focused expectations for teaching and learning provide a cohesive framework aligned with the school's vision
- School leaders and teachers need to develop deeper shared understanding of tikanga Māori and te ao Māori to fully embed bicultural perspectives across all school operations
"The school is effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for almost all children. Positive outcomes in literacy and numeracy have been consistent over time. High levels of whole school achievement, at or above expected levels, have been sustained across the core curriculum since 2014."
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Cust School's approach to equity evolved from developing strategies for Māori success (2013) to demonstrating consistent Māori achievement outcomes alongside broader equitable results for almost all children (2018). A new equity concern emerged around boys' writing achievement relative to girls, which the school identified and targeted.
2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source
Between 2013 and 2018, Cust School's approach to Māori achievement shifted from identifying a need to "further integrate Māori language and culture into daily programmes" to developing "targeted strategies" that affirm identity and support achievement outcomes. By 2018, Māori learner achievements were "consistent with those for the whole school," though ERO identified a new gap: school leaders needed to "develop deeper shared understanding of tikanga Māori and te ao Māori to fully embed bicultural perspectives across all school operations."
2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source
Leadership was strengthened between 2013 and 2018. The 2013 report noted the principal provides 'good quality leadership,' while the 2018 report elevated this to 'Strong professional leadership' with explicit emphasis on strategic vision, improvement-focused expectations, and a cohesive, learner-focused framework.
2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source
The curriculum dimension evolved from emphasizing choice and challenge within a workshop-based model (2013) to a broader, more contextually responsive approach (2018). By 2018, the school had developed a 'broad, responsive curriculum which draws successfully on local contexts to enhance learning,' representing a shift toward place-based learning while maintaining curriculum breadth.
2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source
Both reports assign the same score (85) and describe strong overall achievement. The 2013 report emphasizes "very good use of achievement information" and strong collaborative data practices, while the 2018 report provides more detailed evidence of "equitable and excellent outcomes for almost all children" with "sustained at or above expected levels since 2014," indicating achievement outcomes have been maintained and better documented over the five-year period.
2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source