Elstow-Waihou Combined School
356 Bowler Road, Te Aroha · Waikato
Composite score
Strong
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #304 of scored NZ schools
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Te Aroha looking for a state-funded setting with a strong recent ERO trajectory.
Is Elstow-Waihou Combined School a good school?
Elstow-Waihou Combined School scores 82/100 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
- Strong and intentional relationships with community support rich and engaging opportunities for student learning
- Well-considered approach to clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations of staff results in coherent and collaborative practices
- Engaging and localised curriculum that encourages deep inquiry into contexts for learning
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
+10.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
79/100 from ERO review 2024-09 · 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): 79/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-09-13 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- The majority of students make sustained progress and achieve at the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics; disparity for some groups of students remains.
- Collaborative and strategic leadership promotes a school culture of high expectations and continuous improvement.
- Teachers increasingly integrate tikanga, te reo and mātauranga Māori learning throughout the curriculum.
- Parents and whānau are valued partners in their child's learning; the community plays a significant role in the life of the school.
- Most learners attend school regularly; the school has effective systems for addressing irregular attendance.
"Collaborative and strategic leadership promotes a school culture of high expectations and continuous improvement."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2020–2024. 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
$1.24M
Per-student funding · 2022
$7,302
2018
$0.8M
2019
$0.8M
2020
$1.1M
2021
$1.3M
2022
$1.2M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 16
- Year 02 22
- Year 03 18
- Year 04 30
- Year 05 19
- Year 06 19
- Year 07 28
- Year 08 17
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 84.1%
- Māori 17.6%
- Asian 9.4%
- Pacific 3.5%
Location
356 Bowler Road, Te Aroha. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Elstow-Waihou Combined School.
Te Aroha College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 5.3km · 373 roll
52
-30 vs this
Stanley Avenue School
Full Primary · 5.9km · 290 roll
77
-5 vs this
Springdale School
Full Primary · 6.3km · 34 roll
66
-16 vs this
Te Aroha Primary School
Full Primary · 6.5km · 237 roll
53
-29 vs this
St Joseph's Catholic School (Te Aroha)
Full Primary · 6.7km · 59 roll
69
-13 vs this
Tirohia School
Full Primary · 10.3km · 40 roll
37
-45 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Elstow-Waihou Combined School a good school?
Elstow-Waihou Combined School scores 82/100 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 2024-09 review identified 5 key findings. The majority of students make sustained progress and achieve at the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics; disparity for some groups of students remains.
How do I enrol my child at Elstow-Waihou Combined School?
Contact the school directly on 07-8845802, email admin@elstow-waihou.school.nz, or visit www.elstow-waihou.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?
Elstow-Waihou Combined School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Elstow-Waihou Combined School has 170 students, with an EQI of 449 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Elstow-Waihou Combined School in 2024-09, 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
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz