Best Schools in Napier & Hastings 2026
The best schools in Napier & Hastings ranked on academic results (NCEA and University Entrance) and on the SchoolsNearMe value-added composite, which scores each school against its EQI peer group.
77 schools · refreshed from Education Counts 2026-07-12. Full methodology.
Top 12 schools in Napier & Hastings by academic results
Secondary schools ranked on NCEA Level 1–3 and University Entrance achievement — the "consensus" measure most rankings use. For a fairer, intake-adjusted view, see the value-added list below.
League-table caveat: we only rank schools with at least 30 NCEA candidates, so a 100% pass rate on a handful of students doesn't out-rank a large school — small-cohort percentages are volatile year to year. Read alongside the per-axis breakdown on each school's profile.
- 192/100
- 289/100
- 388/100
- 487/100
- 581/100
- 679/100
- 774/100
- 873/100
- 964/100
- 1064/100Hastings Girls' High School - Ngā Rau Huia o Ākina Stortford Lodge · EQI 514
L1 78% · L2 64% · UE 38%
- 1150/100
- 1247/100
The honest list: best value-added schools in Napier & Hastings
The SchoolsNearMe composite scores every level (primary, intermediate, secondary) against its EQI peer group — so it surfaces schools that get the most out of their students, not just the ones with the most advantaged intake. How it's calculated.
- 1Napier Community High School
Napier · Activity Centre · — students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)
View profile →91
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory—ERO review84 - View profile →
90
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review75 - View profile →
89
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory79ERO review85 - 4Omahu School
Hastings · Full Primary · 56 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)
View profile →86
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review65 - 5Te Kahu Amohia - Fairhaven School
Taradale · Specialist School · 95 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)
View profile →84
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory75ERO review75 - 6TKKM o Te Wananga Whare Tapere o Takitimu
Waipatu · Composite · 278 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)
View profile →82
/ 100 composite
Academic72Outcomes—Retention80Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review88 - View profile →
82
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory54ERO review83 - 8Akina School/ Activity Centre
Hastings · Activity Centre · — students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)
View profile →80
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory—ERO review62 - 9Lindisfarne College
Stortford Lodge · Secondary (Year 7-15) · 472 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
View profile →79
/ 100 composite
Academic92Outcomes66Retention85Wellbeing70Trajectory66ERO review85 - View profile →
79
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory56ERO review76 - View profile →
79
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory38ERO review85 - View profile →
79
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory52ERO review78
Schools by suburb in Napier & Hastings
Browse every school in a specific Napier & Hastings suburb, ranked locally with ERO history and the value-added composite.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best schools in Napier & Hastings?
On academic results (NCEA Level 1–3 and University Entrance), the top-ranked Napier & Hastings secondary schools are Lindisfarne College, Napier Girls' High School, Sacred Heart College (Napier), St John's College (Hastings), Taradale High School. On the SchoolsNearMe value-added composite — which compares each school against its EQI peer group across all year levels — the leaders are Napier Community High School, Parkside Christian S D A School, Kōwhai School.
What are the best school suburbs in Napier & Hastings?
Stortford Lodge, Napier, Hastings, Bluff Hill, Taradale have the highest concentration of top-ranked schools in Napier & Hastings on our academic ranking. Note that several of the highest-performing schools have enrolment zones, so the suburb you live in can determine which state schools you can enrol at.
How do school zones work in Napier & Hastings?
Many Napier & Hastings state schools operate an enrolment zone (home zone): if your home address is inside the zone you have a legal right to enrol, while out-of-zone places are allocated by ballot. Several of the highest-performing state schools are zoned, so the address you live at — not just the suburb — can determine which schools you can enrol at. Always confirm a school's current zone with the school or the Ministry of Education before relying on it; you can check schools against a specific address with our by-address tool.
Decile or Equity Index — how are Napier & Hastings schools rated for socio-economic need?
New Zealand replaced the decile system with the Equity Index (EQI) in 2023. A lower EQI means a more socio-economically advantaged community; a higher EQI means greater need. EQI measures the intake, not teaching quality — a higher-EQI school can outperform a lower-EQI one. The SchoolsNearMe composite controls for EQI so a school serving a more disadvantaged community isn't unfairly penalised against its peers.
What is the most prestigious school in Napier & Hastings?
Prestige is subjective and often tied to a school's history, roll and fees rather than results. On measurable academic achievement, Lindisfarne College is among the highest-ranked schools in Napier & Hastings. We rank on outcomes — NCEA, University Entrance, retention, post-school destinations and wellbeing — not reputation.
What is the highest-decile (most advantaged) school in Napier & Hastings?
The decile system was replaced by the Equity Index (EQI) in 2023 — a lower EQI means a more socio-economically advantaged student community. In Napier & Hastings, Lindisfarne College (Stortford Lodge) has one of the lowest EQI figures at 398. The SchoolsNearMe composite controls for EQI so advantage alone doesn't inflate a school's score.
How these rankings work
The academic ranking orders secondary schools by NCEA Level 1–3 and University Entrance achievement. The value-added composite combines five axes — academic achievement, post-school destinations, Y9→Y13 retention, wellbeing (low stand-down rate) and roll trajectory — into a single 0–100 score, comparing each school against its EQI-band peers (12 bands covering New Zealand's socio-economic spread) so a school serving a more disadvantaged community isn't unfairly penalised.
Source data: Education Counts (NCEA, retention, destinations, discipline, funding) · Ministry of Education (roll, EQI, identity).