Golden Sands School
26 Golden Sands Drive, Papamoa Beach · Bay of Plenty
See all schools in Papamoa Beach →
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,031 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Golden Sands School is a contributing school in Papamoa Beach with 548 students. A board assurance review in July 2022 confirmed the Board of Trustees had met regulatory and legislative requirements as of May 2022, with board administration and curriculum requirements verified. No composite score or specific strengths were identified in the review.
Best suited for
Students in Papamoa Beach looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Golden Sands School a good school?
Golden Sands School scores 47/100 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
- A teaching culture highly focused on adaptive practice that promotes excellent and equitable outcomes
- Leadership that consistently prioritises and plans for school improvement through capability building
- Leadership that is focused on providing a curriculum that is responsive, inclusive and celebrates diversity
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 82.4/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
-20.2% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · bottom quartile of band (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2022-07 · 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
2022-07-26 · Phil Cowie, Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
- Teaching culture highly focused on adaptive practice that promotes excellent and equitable outcomes
- Leadership consistently prioritises and plans for school improvement through capability building
- Leadership focused on providing a curriculum that is responsive, inclusive and celebrates diversity
- School climate underpinned by effective systematic and sustained processes, practices and actions
- School is stabilising at capacity of 800-900 students as other schools open in the area
"Leadership that consistently prioritises and plans for school improvement through capability building."
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$5.83M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$107k
Net assets / equity
$2.30M
2 years of audited data on file · View full history (Pro)
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
82.4
16 this year · 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
$9.57M
Per-student funding · 2022
$17,461
2018
$3.2M
2019
$4.9M
2020
$5.3M
2021
$4.7M
2022
$9.6M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 83
- Year 02 67
- Year 03 63
- Year 04 91
- Year 05 92
- Year 06 99
- Year 07 27
- Year 08 1
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 69.5%
- Māori 20.8%
- Asian 12.8%
- Other / MELAA 3.8%
- Pacific 3.1%
Location
26 Golden Sands Drive, Papamoa Beach. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Golden Sands School.
Suzanne Aubert Catholic School
Contributing · 0.8km · 207 roll
90
+43 vs this
Te Manawa ō Pāpāmoa School
Contributing · 2km · 504 roll
67
+20 vs this
Pāpāmoa Primary School
Contributing · 2.5km · 613 roll
57
+10 vs this
Papamoa College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 3.3km · 1,766 roll
64
+17 vs this
Te Akau ki Papamoa Primary School
Contributing · 4.8km · 554 roll
46
-1 vs this
TKKM o Te Kura Kokiri
Composite · 5km · 268 roll
87
+40 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Golden Sands School a good school?
Golden Sands School scores 47/100 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 2022-07 review identified 5 key findings. Teaching culture highly focused on adaptive practice that promotes excellent and equitable outcomes
How do I enrol my child at Golden Sands School?
Contact the school directly on 07-5424550, email admin@goldensands.school.nz, or visit www.goldensands.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?
Golden Sands School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Golden Sands School has 548 students, with an EQI of 426 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Golden Sands School in 2022-07, signed by Phil Cowie. 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.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- goldensands.school.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz