Gloriavale School shows improvement — Education Review Office

| Greymouth Star | Arianna Stewart |
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Things are slowly improving at Gloriavale School, the Education Review Office (ERO) says in its latest report on the West Coast commune. Gloriavale suffered a highly critical review in 2023 that said it did not meet six out of eight criteria for registration as a private school, failing in provision of suitable premises, staffing, curriculum, tuition standards, a physically and emotionally safe space, and managers assessed as fit and proper persons.

The latest report shows the school is now not meeting three of the criteria: suitable staffing for students with complex additional needs, suitable equipment for students with complex additional needs, and providing a physically and emotionally safe space. However, it is now following the New Zealand curriculum.

In late 2024, ERO undertook a special review of all schooling options for children living within the Gloriavale community, including home schooling reviews for 96 children — about half the 224 school aged children living at the Lake Haupiri site. Nearly 40% are enrolled at Gloriavale School, while the remainder are enrolled with the national correspondence school, Te Kura.

Gloriavale Christian Preschool has also reopened since the last review. The large majority of homeschooled children are taught at least as regularly and well as in a registered school, ERO says. Students studying through Te Kura feel well supported. The scope and coverage of the curriculum offered at Gloriavale School and in home schooling is limited, as is access to the range of career and tertiary pathways options available to students.

ERO says it is not yet assured that all learners’ physical and emotional health and safety is “closely, regularly and sufficiently considered and monitored”.

The school needs equipment suitable for the curriculum for enrolled students with high and complex needs so they can attend. It also needs more rigorous safety assessment plans for Education Outside the Classroom.

A school-based police vet register is not yet in place. Processes are needed to record and make known to the school who is on-site and off-site at Gloriavale at any time during the school day, and the school board must more robustly consider allegations of serious misconduct, and assess the risks to the health, safety and welfare of the children before employing or reinstating an individual.

ERO notes the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand is currently investigating an allegation of staff misconduct. The school has provided their letter of expectation with formal monitoring for the staff member.