About Us

The School and its Community

Cosgrove School is a co-educational primary school catering for 580 (end of 2016) Y1-6 students. An effective property management plan ensures an attractive working environment providing areas that are multi-purpose. A school library/learning hub in the two-storey classroom block sit beside attractive play areas and fields. The school provides high quality educational opportunities for its students. A very positive ERO report in 2016 substantiated this and feedback from community surveys further verifies high levels of support for the school, staff and programme delivery. The school has grown substantially over the past few years due to the growing positive reputation and the fact we had no enrolment scheme. However, with the introduction of an enrolment scheme we are seeing the roll slowly decline to a much manageable level.

National Education Priorities

Cosgrove School recognises and implements programmes focusing on the Government’s National Educational Priorities:

Literacy and Numeracy

Raising student achievement

Home/School partnerships

Providing a safe learning environment

Improving Maori/Pacifica and Special Needs and Pasifika outcomes for Maori/Pacifica and Special Needs and Pasifika students

Identifying and catering for students with special needs.

The school integrates the National Educational Goals and National Education Priorities at Governance and Operational levels by giving them full consideration when planning school developments and programmes tailored to meet the needs of our unique school community. Rigorous self-review systems underlie a reflective school culture to improve delivery and effectiveness in all areas of our operation.

Student Achievement

Cosgrove School aims to accelerate student achievement in order to ensure students are “at or above” National Standards before they leave to go onto Year 7.

Generally the students are achieving at the following curriculum levels

Junior school working and achieving at Levels 1-2

Middle school working and achieving at Levels 2-3

Senior school working and achieving at Level 3

Each year reliable normed along with unnormed national standards achievement data is analysed to measure effectiveness of programmes and provide information for programmes of professional development and resourcing.

Cultural Diversity

The school community is multi-cultural with several nationalities represented, predominantly Maori/Pacifica and Special Needs (63%), Pasifika (18%), New Zealand European (16%), and Asian (3%). The values and concepts underlying the Treaty of Waitangi contribute to a school wide philosophy of manakitanga, aroha and mana. The school kaumatua and proactive parents support the school to ensure we cater and nurture for all members of our learning community. The school has a commitment to fostering effective home’/school partnerships as seen within the strategic direction, as the most effective tool in raising student achievement. The school recognizes that the student’s background, culture and family have an influence their learning and achievement outcomes. The more we value and recognise these factors in our school, the more we will realise the potential of this partnership with parents.