Kaikōura High School
1 Rorrisons Road, Kaikoura · Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,849 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Kaikōura High School's 2023 board assurance review found the Board has met regulatory requirements across most areas. One non-compliance was identified regarding Police vetting procedures, which the Board has since addressed. Board administration, curriculum delivery, and health and safety management were confirmed as meeting requirements.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Kaikoura looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Kaikōura High School a good school?
Kaikōura High School scores 53/100 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
- Board administration confirmed compliant
- Curriculum requirements attested as met
- Health, Safety and Welfare management confirmed
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 67% · UE 26% · below band median (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 4% · Te Pūkenga 3% · Industry 6% · below band median (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
48% to Y13 · bottom 10% of band (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 0.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · top 10% of band (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
+1.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
74/100 from ERO review 2017-07 · near band median (n=471) · 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): 74/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-05-26 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements across all key areas: Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel Management, Finance, and Assets
- One area of non-compliance identified: failure to obtain Police vet for every person employed at the school every three years (section 104 Education and Training Act 2020)
- Board has taken steps to address the identified non-compliance
"As of March 2023, the Kaikoura High School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements"
Audited financials
Year ended 2020 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$4.27M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$185k
Net assets / equity
$1.98M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
81.5%
22 of 27 leavers
-0.1pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
66.7%
18 of 27 leavers
+6.2pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
25.9%
7 of 27 leavers
+10.1pt 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.
48.1%
2024 cohort · 27 students
+3.4pt 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
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
$3.29M
Per-student funding · 2022
$17,595
2018
$2.9M
2019
$3.4M
2020
$3.4M
2021
$3.9M
2022
$3.3M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 25
- Year 08 39
- Year 09 31
- Year 10 23
- Year 11 43
- Year 12 26
- Year 13+ 12
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 77.5%
- Māori 34.8%
- Asian 7.5%
- Pacific 3.7%
- Other / MELAA 2.7%
- International 0.5%
Location
1 Rorrisons Road, Kaikoura. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Kaikōura High School.
Frequently asked
Is Kaikōura High School a good school?
Kaikōura High School scores 53/100 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 2023-05 review identified 3 key findings. Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements across all key areas: Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel Management, Finance, and Assets
How do I enrol my child at Kaikōura High School?
Contact the school directly on 03-3195138, email mmcnabb@kaikourahigh.school.nz, or visit www.kaikourahigh.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?
Kaikōura High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Kaikōura High School has 187 students, with an EQI of 475 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Kaikōura High School in 2023-05, signed by Shelley Booysen. 4 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
- web.archive.org
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz