Kawerau South School
175 Onslow Street, Kawerau · Bay of Plenty
Composite score
Established
Above median
Rank #708 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Kawerau South School's 2022 ERO review identified valued partnerships with kuia and kaumatua supporting the mana and wairua of learners, staff and the community as a key strength. The school has collaborative leaders and staff committed to improving outcomes for all learners, with school values and a localised curriculum developed alongside mana whenua that prioritise strengthening identity and belonging.
Best suited for
Students in Kawerau looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Kawerau South School a good school?
Kawerau South School scores 76/100 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
- Board has formally attested compliance with regulatory requirements across major governance domains
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 7.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=539) · why? ▼ hide
+0.3% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=524) · why? ▼ hide
78/100 from ERO review 2018-05 · above band median (n=544) · 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): 78/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-12-01 · Phil Cowie, Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
- Board attested to compliance across six key regulatory areas: Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel, Finance, and Assets
- Four areas of non-compliance identified: Child Protection policy, Bullying policy, Hazard register maintenance, and in-committee meeting procedures
- Board has taken steps to address identified non-compliance areas
"As of September 2022, the Kawerau South School Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements"
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
7.0
1 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
$2.89M
Per-student funding · 2022
$7,917
2018
$2.6M
2019
$2.6M
2020
$3.3M
2021
$3.0M
2022
$2.9M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 53
- Year 02 55
- Year 03 60
- Year 04 64
- Year 05 50
- Year 06 65
- Year 07 10
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- Māori 90.1%
- European/Pākehā 15.9%
- Pacific 4.1%
- Asian 1.9%
- Other / MELAA 0.3%
Location
175 Onslow Street, Kawerau. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Kawerau South School.
Te Tari Ako Matua Taiohi Education Centre
Teen Parent Unit · 0.2km · roll n/a
95
+19 vs this
Tarawera High School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 1.3km · 427 roll
41
-35 vs this
Te Whata Tau o Putauaki
Composite · 1.5km · 80 roll
87
+11 vs this
Kawerau Putauaki School
Contributing · 1.5km · 143 roll
63
-13 vs this
Te Mahoe School
Full Primary · 10.2km · 31 roll
70
-6 vs this
Te Kura O Te Teko
Full Primary · 10.9km · 155 roll
68
-8 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Kawerau South School a good school?
Kawerau South School scores 76/100 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 2022-12 review identified 3 key findings. Board attested to compliance across six key regulatory areas: Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel, Finance, and Assets
How do I enrol my child at Kawerau South School?
Contact the school directly on 07-3238326, or visit www.kss.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?
Kawerau South School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Kawerau South School has 365 students, with an EQI of 536 (higher socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Kawerau South School in 2022-12, signed by Phil Cowie. 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