Best primary schools in Tauranga 2026

28 primary schools ranked by the SchoolsNearMe composite — a 5-axis score (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory) compared against EQI-band peers. Methodology.

Data refreshed from Education Counts 2026-07-12. Schools without enough data to score on the composite are omitted from this page but still appear in the directory.

1
Suzanne Aubert Catholic School
Papamoa · Contributing · 207 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
90
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
100
Trajectory
100
ERO review
75
2
TKKM o Otepou
Tauranga Central · Full Primary · 71 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)
89
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
100
Trajectory
83
ERO review
83
3
Keenan Road Primary School (Proposed)
Pyes Pa · Full Primary · — students · EQI unknown
87
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
100
Trajectory
—
ERO review
75
4
Taumata School
Pyes Pa · Full Primary · 708 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
82
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
67
Trajectory
100
ERO review
84
5
St Mary's Catholic School (Tauranga)
Tauranga · Contributing · 486 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
79
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
100
Trajectory
59
ERO review
72
6
Tauranga Waldorf School
Welcome Bay · Full Primary · 203 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
78
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
94
Trajectory
49
ERO review
81
7
Tauranga Primary School
Tauranga · Contributing · 467 students · EQI 420–449
75
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
88
Trajectory
49
ERO review
79
8
Tauranga Adventist School
Bethlehem · Full Primary · 120 students · EQI 420–449
75
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
100
Trajectory
40
ERO review
74
9
Matua School
Matua · Contributing · 555 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
74
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
90
Trajectory
50
ERO review
76
10
Tahatai Coast School
Papamoa · Contributing · 830 students · EQI 420–449
74
/ 100 composite
View profile →
Wellbeing
73
Trajectory
57
ERO review
86

View the remaining 18 ranked primary schools in Tauranga

11. Pahoia School Tauranga
71
12. Bethlehem School Bethlehem
70
13. Pillans Point School Pillans Point
70
14. Merivale School Tauranga
69
15. Tauriko School Tauriko
68
16. Selwyn Ridge School Welcome Bay
68
17. Maungatapu School Maungatapu-Tauranga
66
18. Ōtūmoetai Primary School Otumoetai
60
19. Greenpark School (Tauranga) Greerton
59
20. Welcome Bay School Welcome Bay
59
21. Te Kura o Matapihi Matapihi
56
22. Gate Pa School Gate Pa
52
23. Greerton Village School - Te Kura o Maarawaewae Greerton
46
24. Te Akau ki Papamoa Primary School Papamoa
46
25. Te Kura o Manunui Brookfield
45
26. Oropi School Oropi
43
27. Bellevue School (Tauranga) Bellevue
39
28. Kaimai School Kaimai
29

About this ranking

SchoolsNearMe's 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. The math compares each school against its EQI-band peers (12 bands covering NZ's socio-economic spread), so a school serving more disadvantaged students isn't unfairly penalised against schools serving the most-advantaged.

Schools below 30 students aren't given a rollup score (per-axis data is still on each profile). Schools without composite-eligible data don't appear on this page.

Source data: Education Counts (NCEA, retention, destinations, discipline, funding) · Ministry of Education (roll, EQI, identity).