Bethlehem College
24 Elder Lane, Bethlehem · Bay of Plenty
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Composite score
Established
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #583 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Bethlehem College's December 2023 special ERO review found the school has not yet balanced its stated beliefs with obligations under the Education and Training Act, particularly regarding support for LGBTQIA+ students. Some current and former students reported feeling harmed by bullying related to sexual orientation, with limited acknowledgement of these obligations in school policies and training. Despite these concerns, many teachers, staff and parents report positive experiences, and leaders have introduced a restructured pastoral care system. The school's composite score is 33.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Bethlehem looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Bethlehem College a good school?
Bethlehem College scores 77/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- For many teachers, staff and parents, the school provides a positive educational experience with strong sense of community
- A large group of students feel the school provides a positive and safe learning environment
- Leaders recognised need for change and introduced restructured pastoral care system at beginning of 2023
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.
L1 93% · L2 88% · UE 70% · bottom quartile of band (n=66) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 52% · Te Pūkenga 8% · Industry 3% · below band median (n=64) · why? ▼ hide
88% to Y13 · bottom quartile of band (n=66) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 5.5/1k · suspensions 1.2/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=536) · why? ▼ hide
+12.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=534) · why? ▼ hide
33/100 from ERO review 2023-12 · bottom 10% of band (n=539) · 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): 33/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-12-12 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- The school has yet to achieve balance between preservation of stated beliefs and meeting obligations under section 127 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and National Education and Learning Priorities
- A small number of current and former students felt harmed and subjected to bullying specifically because of their sexual orientation
- Limited acknowledgement within key policy statements, guidelines or training materials of how the school meets obligations to support LGBTQIA+ students
- Professional learning and development for teachers does not sufficiently support capability to effectively manage bias and accept diversity
- Health curriculum does not sufficiently deliver the full breadth of required aspects of The New Zealand Curriculum
"a small number of current and former students that ERO talked with felt harmed and deeply hurt by their experiences at the school. These students believed that they had been specifically singled out and subjected to bullying and targeted because of their sexual orientation."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2012–2023. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2025 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$28.23M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$98k
Net assets / equity
$5.54M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
92.6%
175 of 189 leavers
-5.5pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
88.4%
167 of 189 leavers
-7.1pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
69.8%
132 of 189 leavers
-10.1pt vs prior year
Data: Ministry of Education / Education Counts, CC-BY-4.0
Stay-on rate
Percentage of students who stay at school until at least their 17th birthday — the standard NZ proxy for Year-9-to-Year-13 retention.
87.8%
2024 cohort · 189 students
-6.4pt vs 2023
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
5.5
13 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
1.2
3 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 14
- Creative Industries 10
- Primary Industries 7
- Construction and Infrastructure 2
- Social and Community Services 2
- Manufacturing and Technology 1
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
$14.63M
Per-student funding · 2022
$7,137
2018
$11.1M
2019
$11.3M
2020
$13.3M
2021
$13.7M
2022
$14.6M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 79
- Year 02 88
- Year 03 91
- Year 04 91
- Year 05 102
- Year 06 98
- Year 07 224
- Year 08 202
- Year 09 217
- Year 10 242
- Year 11 246
- Year 12 190
- Year 13+ 161
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 68.7%
- Asian 23.8%
- Māori 10.1%
- Other / MELAA 8.7%
- International 5.5%
- Pacific 2.8%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
24 Elder Lane, Bethlehem. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Bethlehem College.
Tauranga Adventist School
Full Primary · 0.9km · 120 roll
75
-2 vs this
Te Wharekura o Mauao
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 1.5km · 280 roll
57
-20 vs this
Bethlehem School
Contributing · 1.6km · 440 roll
70
-7 vs this
Te Kura o Manunui
Contributing · 2.3km · 347 roll
45
-32 vs this
Tauranga Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 3.1km · 1,399 roll
62
-15 vs this
Bellevue School (Tauranga)
Contributing · 3.1km · 332 roll
39
-38 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Bethlehem College a good school?
Bethlehem College scores 77/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2023-12 review identified 6 key findings. The school has yet to achieve balance between preservation of stated beliefs and meeting obligations under section 127 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and National Education and Learning Priorities
How do I enrol my child at Bethlehem College?
Contact the school directly on 07-5766769, email principal@beth.school.nz, or visit www.beth.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?
Bethlehem College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Bethlehem College has 2,050 students, with an EQI of 409 (lower socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Bethlehem College in 2023-12, signed by Shelley Booysen. 3 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
- beth.ibcdn.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- beth.school.nz
- crimestats.co.nz