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Full Primary · State

Cust School

473 Early's Road, Cust · Canterbury

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Total roll 143
EQI 412
Founded 1867
76

Composite score

Established

B+

Above median

Rank #732 of scored NZ schools

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Improving equity 2013-2018 Consistent excellence (≥80 composite, 2+ cycles) State school Co-educational Full Primary (Years 1-8) Reviewed by Graham Randell (32-school portfolio)

In summary

Cust School's 2018 ERO review found the school effective in achieving equitable outcomes for almost all children, with sustained positive results in literacy and numeracy. The school has identified boys' achievement in writing as an area of concern and is developing targeted strategies to strengthen Māori learner identity. Strong professional leadership, clear teaching and learning expectations, and consistent school-wide practices support sustained positive outcomes.

Best suited for

Students aged 5-11 in Cust looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.

Is Cust School a good school?

Cust School scores 76/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. ERO trajectory is improving across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.

Strengths from the latest ERO report

  • Strong professional leadership which ensures that the strategic vision and values form a foundation for all school operations and decisions, resulting in a cohesive, learner-focused approach
  • Clear expectations and systems for teaching and learning that support sustained positive outcomes for learners
  • School-wide consistent and sustainable practices, documentation and reporting that ensure ongoing effective monitoring of school practices, understandings and outcomes for learners

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.

How this is computed
Wellbeing
35%
standdowns 0.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · top 10% of band (n=536) · why?
Composite of stand-downs, suspensions, and exclusions per 1,000 students (lower is better). Formula: standdowns/1k + 2× suspensions/1k + 5× exclusions/1k. Small primary schools with no rows score top of band ("no incidents reported"). Source: Education Counts student engagement. Year: 2024. Peer comparison: top 10% of band (n=536).
100
Trajectory
25%
-14.9% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · bottom quartile of band (n=534) · why?
5-year change in total roll. −20% → 0 score, 0% → 50, +20% → 100. Source: Education Counts roll history. Year: 2025. Peer comparison: bottom quartile of band (n=534).
31
ERO review
40%
82/100 from ERO review 2018-02 · near band median (n=539) · why?
Composite score from the most recent Education Review Office report (Haiku-extracted 0–100 from the published review text). For primary schools this is the heaviest axis (40%) because NCEA-style outcomes data isn't applicable. Source: ERO via Wayback archive. Year: 2018. Peer comparison: near band median (n=539).
82

⚠ 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): 82/100.

Latest ERO review

2018-02-05 · Lesley Patterson, Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

ERO report
  • The school is effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for almost all children, with positive outcomes in literacy and numeracy sustained at or above expected levels since 2014
  • Boys' achievement in writing in 2016 was significantly lower than girls', and the school has identified and targeted this as a concern
  • Māori learner achievements are consistent with those for the whole school, with targeted strategies being developed to affirm and strengthen their sense of identity
  • Strong professional leadership and clear improvement-focused expectations for teaching and learning provide a cohesive framework aligned with the school's vision
  • School leaders and teachers need to develop deeper shared understanding of tikanga Māori and te ao Māori to fully embed bicultural perspectives across all school operations
"The school is effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for almost all children. Positive outcomes in literacy and numeracy have been consistent over time. High levels of whole school achievement, at or above expected levels, have been sustained across the core curriculum since 2014."
— ERO, 2018-02-05 (achievement)

Composite score across reviews

2 ERO reviews on file, 2013–2018. Click a point to read that review.

latest 82
0 25 50 75 100 20132018 2013-09-09 · 81/100 2018-02-05 · 82/100

Trajectory across review cycles

Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.

equity 65 → 80 (+15)

Cust School's approach to equity evolved from developing strategies for Māori success (2013) to demonstrating consistent Māori achievement outcomes alongside broader equitable results for almost all children (2018). A new equity concern emerged around boys' writing achievement relative to girls, which the school identified and targeted.

2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source

achievement maori 80 → 72 (-8)

Between 2013 and 2018, Cust School's approach to Māori achievement shifted from identifying a need to "further integrate Māori language and culture into daily programmes" to developing "targeted strategies" that affirm identity and support achievement outcomes. By 2018, Māori learner achievements were "consistent with those for the whole school," though ERO identified a new gap: school leaders needed to "develop deeper shared understanding of tikanga Māori and te ao Māori to fully embed bicultural perspectives across all school operations."

2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source

leadership 85 → 88 (+3)

Leadership was strengthened between 2013 and 2018. The 2013 report noted the principal provides 'good quality leadership,' while the 2018 report elevated this to 'Strong professional leadership' with explicit emphasis on strategic vision, improvement-focused expectations, and a cohesive, learner-focused framework.

2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source

curriculum 80 → 82 (+2)

The curriculum dimension evolved from emphasizing choice and challenge within a workshop-based model (2013) to a broader, more contextually responsive approach (2018). By 2018, the school had developed a 'broad, responsive curriculum which draws successfully on local contexts to enhance learning,' representing a shift toward place-based learning while maintaining curriculum breadth.

2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source

governance 85 → 85 (0)

Governance evolved from strong foundational work on charter-strategic plan alignment in 2013 to more embedded professional leadership and school-wide systems by 2018. The 2013 report highlighted the board's strengthening of links between governance documents and practices, while 2018 emphasizes how strategic vision and values now form a foundation for all operations and decisions, with clearer expectations and sustainable practices for monitoring outcomes.

2013-09 → 2018-02 diff source

Discipline (age-standardised, per 1,000 students)

Stand-down = sent home temporarily. Suspension = formal investigation. Exclusion = removed from school. National averages shown for comparison.

Education Counts

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.

Education Counts

Total Crown funding · 2022

$1.21M

Per-student funding · 2022

$8,464

2018

$1.0M

2019

$1.0M

2020

$1.1M

2021

$2.0M

2022

$1.2M

Roll by year level

July 2025 roll return.

Education Counts
  • Year 01
    15
  • Year 02
    16
  • Year 03
    19
  • Year 04
    20
  • Year 05
    20
  • Year 06
    18
  • Year 07
    14
  • Year 08
    15

Roll by ethnicity

Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.

Education Counts
  • European/Pākehā
    97.9%
  • Māori
    11.9%
  • Asian
    2.1%
  • Pacific
    1.4%
  • Other / MELAA
    0.7%

Location

473 Early's Road, Cust. Nearby schools marked in grey.

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Frequently asked

Is Cust School a good school?

Cust School scores 76/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. ERO trajectory is improving across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.

What does the latest ERO review say?

ERO's 2018-02 review identified 5 key findings. The school is effective in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for almost all children, with positive outcomes in literacy and numeracy sustained at or above expected levels since 2014

How do I enrol my child at Cust School?

Contact the school directly on 03-3125753, email admin@cust.school.nz, or visit www.cust.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?

Cust School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.

What is the roll size?

Cust School has 143 students, with an EQI of 412 (lower socio-economic need).

When was the school last reviewed by ERO?

The Education Review Office last reviewed Cust School in 2018-02, signed by 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.

Last updated

5 Feb 2018

Source documents

3 cited

Spot an error?

Report a correction

Sourced from

  • ero.govt.nz
  • schoolsdata.co.nz
  • crimestats.co.nz