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Full Primary · State

Hilltop School

88 Rokino Road, Taupo · Bay of Plenty

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Total roll 594
EQI 421
Founded 1964
72

Composite score

Established

B+

Above median

Rank #998 of scored NZ schools

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State school Co-educational Full Primary (Years 1-8) Reviewed by Shelley Booysen (99-school portfolio)

In summary

Hilltop School's February 2025 ERO review found that a large majority of learners achieve at and above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, with improving equity across learner groups. Structured literacy approaches and embedded school values support engagement, wellbeing and leadership development. The school has established systems for gathering and analysing learner progress data, with leaders supporting teachers to strengthen teaching practices and expertise.

Best suited for

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

Is Hilltop School a good school?

Hilltop School scores 72/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.

Strengths from the latest ERO report

  • Embedded school values support learner wellbeing, inclusion, self-responsibility and leadership growth
  • Leaders support teachers to strengthen effective teaching practices and promote leadership development to continually grow expertise within the school
  • Established systems and processes for effectively gathering and analysing learner progress and achievement data

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 10.3/1k · suspensions 7.3/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=518) · 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: near band median (n=518).
75
Trajectory
25%
+4.6% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=515) · why?
5-year change in total roll. −20% → 0 score, 0% → 50, +20% → 100. Source: Education Counts roll history. Year: 2025. Peer comparison: above band median (n=515).
56
ERO review
40%
79/100 from ERO review 2025-02 · near band median (n=520) · 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: 2025. Peer comparison: near band median (n=520).
79

⚠ 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

2025-02-28 · Sharon Kelly, ERO

ERO report
  • A large majority of learners achieve at and above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, with results becoming more equitable for all groups
  • Structured literacy approaches across the school are leading to improved engagement and positive outcomes for learners in reading and writing
  • Embedded school values support learner wellbeing, inclusion, self-responsibility and leadership growth
  • Leaders and teachers build and sustain trust and collaboration within the school and community
  • The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance, with chronic absence reducing over time
"Leaders support teachers to strengthen effective teaching practices and promote leadership development to continually grow expertise within the school"
— ERO, 2025-02-28 (leadership)

Trajectory across review cycles

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

Audited financials

Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified

Annual report

Total revenue

$5.26M

Surplus / (deficit)

$28k

Net assets / equity

$1.04M

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

10.3

4 this year · NZ avg ~37

Suspensions · 2024

7.3

2 this year · 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

$3.83M

Per-student funding · 2022

$6,451

2018

$2.9M

2019

$3.1M

2020

$3.8M

2021

$3.8M

2022

$3.8M

Roll by year level

July 2025 roll return.

Education Counts
  • Year 01
    58
  • Year 02
    67
  • Year 03
    79
  • Year 04
    59
  • Year 05
    96
  • Year 06
    63
  • Year 07
    80
  • Year 08
    72

Roll by ethnicity

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

Education Counts
  • European/Pākehā
    75.6%
  • Māori
    16.7%
  • Asian
    9.1%
  • Other / MELAA
    5.9%
  • Pacific
    2.2%

Location

88 Rokino Road, Taupo. Nearby schools marked in grey.

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Schools nearby

Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Hilltop School.

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Frequently asked

Is Hilltop School a good school?

Hilltop School scores 72/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.

What does the latest ERO review say?

ERO's 2025-02 review identified 6 key findings. A large majority of learners achieve at and above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, with results becoming more equitable for all groups

How do I enrol my child at Hilltop School?

Contact the school directly on 07-3787583, email info@hilltop.org.nz, or visit www.hilltop.org.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.

What are the fees?

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

What is the roll size?

Hilltop School has 594 students, with an EQI of 421 (mid-range socio-economic context).

When was the school last reviewed by ERO?

The Education Review Office last reviewed Hilltop School in 2025-02, signed by Sharon Kelly. 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.

Last updated

28 Feb 2025

Source documents

4 cited

Spot an error?

Report a correction

Sourced from

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