Balfour School
131 Queen Street, Balfour · Otago & Southland
Composite score
Established
Above median
Rank #1,149 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Balfour School maintained high achievement and progress in reading and mathematics through leadership and staffing changes, according to its 2018 ERO review. The school has identified a focus on raising boys' writing achievement and supporting students whose learning needs acceleration. Leadership emphasises supporting children's learning and development through a collaborative culture and professional practice.
Best suited for
Students in Balfour looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Balfour School a good school?
Balfour School scores 70/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Effective leadership focused on supporting children's learning, engagement and development
- A culture of respect and collaboration
- The building of professional practice through support to teachers and collaborative working
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
standdowns 0.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · top 10% of band (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
-28.9% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · bottom 10% of band (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
78/100 from ERO review 2018-05 · near band median (n=520) · why? ▼ hide
⚠ Insufficient EQI-band peers (n<10) to compute per-axis percentile context. The score above is absolute; treat it as a single-school read rather than a peer comparison.
Real ERO composite (from the latest review): 78/100.
Latest ERO review
2018-05-22 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
- High level of achievement and progress in reading and mathematics maintained through leadership and staffing changes
- School is targeting raising boys' writing achievement; disparity evident in boys' writing and some disparity in mathematics for boys
- Strong focus on supporting children whose learning needs acceleration with consistently successful outcomes for most
- School leadership has effectively established systems and practices to support positive outcomes; strong focus on consistency in curriculum delivery and monitoring progress
- Key development needed: strengthen bicultural learning through consistent modelling and integration of Māori language, culture and identity
"The school's leadership has effectively established systems and practices to better support positive outcomes for all children. A strong focus has been placed on establishing consistency across the school, in particular with the delivery of curriculum and with close monitoring of children's progress and achievement."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2018. Click a point to read that review.
Discipline (age-standardised, per 1,000 students)
Stand-down = sent home temporarily. Suspension = formal investigation. Exclusion = removed from school. National averages shown for comparison.
Stand-downs · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$1.08M
Per-student funding · 2022
$15,389
2018
$0.8M
2019
$0.8M
2020
$0.8M
2021
$0.7M
2022
$1.1M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 6
- Year 02 9
- Year 03 8
- Year 04 18
- Year 05 4
- Year 06 16
- Year 07 3
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 65.7%
- Asian 18.6%
- Māori 12.9%
- Pacific 7.1%
Location
131 Queen Street, Balfour. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Balfour School.
Frequently asked
Is Balfour School a good school?
Balfour School scores 70/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2018-05 review identified 5 key findings. High level of achievement and progress in reading and mathematics maintained through leadership and staffing changes
How do I enrol my child at Balfour School?
Contact the school directly on 03-2016042, email office@balfour.school.nz, or visit www.balfour.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
Balfour School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Balfour School has 70 students, with an EQI of 421 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Balfour School in 2018-05, signed by Dr Lesley Patterson. 2 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz