Ellesmere College
Leeston Dunsandel Road, Leeston · Canterbury
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,781 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Ellesmere College's 2024 ERO review found that while most Year 7 and 8 students achieve at or above expected levels in literacy and numeracy, less than half of Year 9 and 10 students meet curriculum expectations. The school has recognised disparities for boys and Māori students that require improvement, though it maintains strong attendance rates and has a well-developed strategic plan. The school's composite score is 51.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Leeston looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Ellesmere College a good school?
Ellesmere College scores 55/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Majority of Year 7 and 8 students achieve at or above expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics
- Majority of students attend school regularly with effective strategies in place to support attendance
- Well-developed strategic plan with clearly defined actions aimed at improving outcomes for all students
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 82% · L2 76% · UE 41% · below band median (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 12% · Te Pūkenga 16% · Industry 9% · below band median (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
76% to Y13 · near band median (n=86) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 64.2/1k · suspensions 2.3/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · below band median (n=404) · why? ▼ hide
-7.0% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · below band median (n=403) · why? ▼ hide
51/100 from ERO review 2024-07 · bottom 10% of band (n=406) · 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): 51/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-07-17 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Most students achieve NCEA at Level 2 and 3; girls achieve at higher rates than boys in Levels 2 and 3
- Less than half of Year 9 and 10 students are working within expected curriculum level for reading, writing and mathematics
- Recognised disparity for boys and Māori students across Years 7 to 11 requires improvement
- Leaders are beginning to use data to review effectiveness of teaching and learning; distributed leadership approach now in place
- Improvement required to structure of learning programmes across Years 7 to 11 to better prepare students for NCEA
"Most students achieve the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Level 2 and 3; girls achieve NCEA at a higher rate than boys in Levels 2 and 3."
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Audited financials
Year ended 2018 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$6.25M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$3k
Net assets / equity
$0.78M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
82.4%
61 of 74 leavers
-1.7pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
75.7%
56 of 74 leavers
+2.7pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
40.5%
30 of 74 leavers
+2.4pt 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.
75.7%
2024 cohort · 74 students
+10.6pt 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
64.2
52 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
2.3
2 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).
- Primary Industries 1
- Creative Industries 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
$6.82M
Per-student funding · 2022
$13,277
2018
$4.6M
2019
$4.6M
2020
$5.3M
2021
$5.8M
2022
$6.8M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 88
- Year 08 91
- Year 09 85
- Year 10 83
- Year 11 82
- Year 12 67
- Year 13+ 32
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 82.9%
- Māori 18.5%
- Asian 12.5%
- Other / MELAA 6.0%
- Pacific 2.9%
- International 1.9%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
Leeston Dunsandel Road, Leeston. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Ellesmere College.
Frequently asked
Is Ellesmere College a good school?
Ellesmere College scores 55/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2024-07 review identified 5 key findings. Most students achieve NCEA at Level 2 and 3; girls achieve at higher rates than boys in Levels 2 and 3
How do I enrol my child at Ellesmere College?
Contact the school directly on 03-3243369, email poorterd@ellesmere.school.nz, or visit www.ellesmere.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?
Ellesmere College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Ellesmere College has 514 students, with an EQI of 462 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Ellesmere College in 2024-07, signed by Shelley Booysen. 5 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
- ellesmere.school.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz