Mt Aspiring College
101 Plantation Road, Wanaka · Otago & Southland
Composite score
Established
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #520 of scored NZ schools
Active MoE intervention — limited statutory manager
A limited statutory manager has been appointed to Mt Aspiring College . NZ Gazette notice
In summary
Mt Aspiring College's hostel for Year 13 students operates across five standalone houses with an intensive outdoor pursuits programme. The hostel manager and owner have attested compliance with the Hostel Regulations 2005. Strengths include an extensive induction programme, ongoing mentorship, diverse outdoor experiences, and established systems supporting physical and emotional safety. The school is currently subject to a limited statutory manager intervention by the Ministry of Education.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Wanaka looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Mt Aspiring College a good school?
Mt Aspiring College is currently under MoE intervention — a limited statutory manager has been appointed. The school's day-to-day teaching continues; the intervention addresses governance or operational concerns identified by the Ministry. Read the NZ Gazette notice for details.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Extensive induction programme and ongoing mentorship from hostel manager and assistant manager
- Diverse range of experiences and challenges provided through outdoor pursuits programme
- Established systems and processes supporting physical and emotional safety
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 96% · L2 89% · UE 71% · below band median (n=66) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 37% · Te Pūkenga 15% · Industry 15% · near band median (n=64) · why? ▼ hide
91% to Y13 · below band median (n=66) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 35.1/1k · suspensions 1.4/1k · exclusions 0.5/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=536) · why? ▼ hide
+13.2% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=534) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2025-01 · top quartile of band (n=539) · 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
2025-01-23 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- The hostel manager and owner have attested they meet the requirements of the Hostel Regulations 2005
- Accommodation provided for Year 13 students in five standalone houses with intensive outdoor pursuits programme
- Considerable emphasis on collective responsibility and developing independent living skills with regular communication
- Students report positive and supportive living and learning environment with well-supported physical and emotional safety
- Thorough and up-to-date documentation with termly reporting to school board and close hostel-school relationship
"Their physical and emotional safety is well supported by established systems and processes."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2022–2025. Click a point to read that review.
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
96.2%
202 of 210 leavers
+0.3pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
88.6%
186 of 210 leavers
-0.2pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
70.5%
148 of 210 leavers
-1.7pt 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.
91.0%
2024 cohort · 210 students
+2.8pt 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
35.1
70 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
1.4
3 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.5
1 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 27
- Creative Industries 10
- Construction and Infrastructure 5
- Primary Industries 3
- 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
$32.76M
Per-student funding · 2022
$25,814
2018
$8.8M
2019
$10.5M
2020
$12.5M
2021
$24.5M
2022
$32.8M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 189
- Year 08 224
- Year 09 179
- Year 10 204
- Year 11 168
- Year 12 164
- Year 13+ 161
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 89.2%
- Māori 12.0%
- Asian 7.3%
- Other / MELAA 4.5%
- Pacific 1.3%
Location
101 Plantation Road, Wanaka. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Mt Aspiring College.
Frequently asked
Is Mt Aspiring College a good school?
Mt Aspiring College is currently under MoE intervention — a limited statutory manager has been appointed. The school's day-to-day teaching continues; the intervention addresses governance or operational concerns identified by the Ministry. Read the NZ Gazette notice for details.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2025-01 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 Mt Aspiring College?
Contact the school directly on 03-4430499, email learn@mtaspiring.school.nz, or visit www.mtaspiring.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?
Mt Aspiring College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Mt Aspiring College has 1,269 students, with an EQI of 412 (lower socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Mt Aspiring College in 2025-01, 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
- gazette.govt.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz