Waltham School
Hastings Street East, Waltham · Canterbury
Composite score
Established
Latest ERO review
2025-02-28 · Sharon Kelly, ERO
- Learners achieve best in reading; school leaders have identified that there is a need to accelerate progress in writing and mathematics for some groups of learners.
- Learners benefit from good quality teaching practice that improves progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
- The school successfully promotes learners' engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
- A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level in reading, with results equitable for all groups.
- School is behind the 80% regular attendance target; chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.
"School leaders prioritise collaboration and provide clear direction for school improvement, they effectively build on the positive school culture and use of wider community partnerships to ensure that learners, whānau and staff are well supported."
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
The school's teaching dimension shows a decline in demonstrated effectiveness. The 2018 report highlighted that 'The majority of children achieve at or above expectations in mathematics, reading and writing' with strong monitoring and intervention practices. By 2022, the focus had shifted to 'implementing and sustaining effective teaching practices to support priority learners in literacy and numeracy,' suggesting achievement gaps had widened and teaching consistency needed strengthening.
2018-02 → 2022-08 diff source
Teaching quality improved significantly between 2022 and 2025. The 2022 report focused on implementing effective practices for priority learners in literacy and numeracy, while the 2025 report confirms that 'good quality teaching practice' now improves progress across reading, writing and mathematics, with structured approaches and enhanced professional learning in place.
2022-08 → 2025-02 diff source
Both reports describe strong wellbeing provisions at Waltham School with consistent emphasis on pastoral care and positive culture. The 2018 report highlighted a 'strong focus on children's holistic wellbeing, engagement and learning' alongside 'strong pastoral care provisions,' while the 2022 report similarly emphasizes an 'inclusive culture' that supports 'sense of belonging, positive social interactions, and wellbeing.' The framing evolved slightly from holistic wellbeing and engagement to a more specific focus on belonging and social interactions, though pastoral care systems remained well-established in both periods.
2018-02 → 2022-08 diff source
Both reports affirm strong collaborative leadership and positive school culture. The 2025 report provides more detail on leadership practices, emphasizing strategic direction, reflective culture, and community consultation, while the 2022 report focused more broadly on team culture promotion. The leadership rating remains strong in both, though the overall school score decreased slightly from 85 to 82.
2022-08 → 2025-02 diff source
Both reports affirm the school's strong wellbeing provisions, with consistent emphasis on inclusive culture and pastoral care. The 2025 report adds explicit recognition that "The school successfully promotes learners' engagement, wellbeing and inclusion," while the 2022 report framed this through an "inclusive culture [that] supports students' sense of belonging, positive social interactions, and wellbeing." The language has become more direct about engagement outcomes, though the core strengths remain aligned.
2022-08 → 2025-02 diff source