Garin College
35 Champion Road, Richmond · Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast
Composite score
Established
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #511 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Garin College's hostel facilities comprise two separate, well-maintained boarding buildings (Francis Douglas House and Mother Theresa House) that provide a homely environment for boarders. The hostel manager and school leadership maintain effective liaison, with regular trips and activities arranged for residents. The hostel meets the requirements of the Hostel Regulations 2005, with policies and procedures well integrated with the school's pastoral systems.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Richmond looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Garin College a good school?
Garin College scores 79/100 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
- Separate, well-maintained hostel buildings that emphasise a homely feel for boarders
- Effective liaison between hostel manager and school's pastoral and leadership teams
- Frequent arrangement of trips and activities for boarders
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 92% · L2 86% · UE 62% · near band median (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 39% · Te Pūkenga 18% · Industry 7% · top 10% of band (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
86% to Y13 · near band median (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 17.5/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+24.3% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2024-02 · top quartile of band (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): 85/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-02-07 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- The hostel manager and owner have attested they meet the requirements of the Hostel Regulations 2005
- Francis Douglas House and Mother Theresa House are well maintained, separate boys' and girls' boarding buildings located away from the school site
- Hostel policies and procedures link well with the school's
- The hostel manager liaises effectively with the school's pastoral and leadership teams to support boarders' learning and wellbeing
- Boarders report being well supported by staff in their learning and in pursuing co-curricular activities
"The hostel is governed by the Garin College Hostel Trust Board who take all reasonable steps to provide a safe physical and emotional environment that supports students' learning."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2017–2024. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2025 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$9.78M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$48k
Net assets / equity
$1.40M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
92.3%
108 of 117 leavers
+2.8pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
85.5%
100 of 117 leavers
+2.3pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
62.4%
73 of 117 leavers
-0.8pt 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.
85.5%
2024 cohort · 117 students
+2.3pt 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
17.5
18 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Creative Industries 11
- Service Industries 7
- Manufacturing and Technology 2
- Social and Community Services 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
$5.72M
Per-student funding · 2022
$9,136
2018
$4.5M
2019
$4.6M
2020
$5.1M
2021
$5.2M
2022
$5.7M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 139
- Year 10 152
- Year 11 126
- Year 12 139
- Year 13+ 88
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 85.5%
- Māori 13.4%
- Asian 13.4%
- International 3.5%
- Pacific 2.6%
- Other / MELAA 1.8%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
35 Champion Road, Richmond. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Garin College.
Waimea College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0.7km · 1,543 roll
63
-16 vs this
- no score yet
Salisbury School (Nelson)
Specialist School · 0.8km · 12 roll
St Paul's School (Richmond)
Full Primary · 0.9km · 365 roll
80
+1 vs this
Waimea Intermediate
Intermediate · 1km · 580 roll
56
-23 vs this
Henley School (Nelson)
Contributing · 1km · 516 roll
71
-8 vs this
TKKM o Tuia te Matangi
Composite · 1.2km · 76 roll
58
-21 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Garin College a good school?
Garin College scores 79/100 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 2024-02 review identified 5 key findings. The hostel manager and owner have attested they meet the requirements of the Hostel Regulations 2005
How do I enrol my child at Garin College?
Contact the school directly on 03-5439488, email achieve@garincollege.ac.nz, or visit www.garincollege.ac.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
Garin College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Garin College has 626 students, with an EQI of 429 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Garin College in 2024-02, 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
- drive.google.com
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz