Education Minister Erica Stanford says parents will start seeing redesigned Education Review Office (ERO) school reports from Term 2, with a sharper focus on student achievement, progress and engagement, and a format intended to be easier to read.

Stanford said the existing approach hasn’t highlighted the information parents find most useful. “I am pleased to be releasing a new, simplified report that is focussed on student achievement, progress and engagement and co-designed with parents,” she said.

According to the Minister, the updated reports will:

• Cover almost twice as many topics
• Include clearer measurements and visual summaries of performance and the value schools are adding
• Recognise successes and set out a “roadmap for improvement,” focused on the changes that matter most for students

ERO has engaged with schools and run parent focus groups in developing the new format, Stanford said.

The shift is part of the Government’s broader moves to lift achievement, including twice-yearly assessments in reading, writing and maths for Year 3–8 students, a Phonics Check, a Year 2 maths check, and updated student reports. “The results for children are beginning to show, and we’re ensuring parents can see exactly where their child is excelling and needing help,” Stanford said.

The announcement does not specify which metrics will appear in the new ERO reports, how performance will be compared across schools, or how quickly the new format will be applied to all schools given ERO’s review cycles. The Ministry says parents can expect “more detail” from Term 2.