Opihi College
Richard Pearse Drive, Temuka · Canterbury
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,155 of scored NZ schools
Active MoE intervention — limited statutory manager
A limited statutory manager has been appointed to Opihi College as of 2012-11-08. NZ Gazette notice
In summary
Opihi College's 2023 ERO review found teachers are improvement-focused with enthusiasm for curriculum development, and school leadership engages in professional learning to improve teacher practice. The school demonstrates a commitment to growing staff capability to support student achievement and engagement. The school is currently subject to limited statutory manager intervention by the Ministry of Education.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Temuka looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Opihi College a good school?
Opihi 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
- Teachers are improvement focused and share enthusiasm for curriculum development
- School leadership and teachers engage in professional learning and development to improve teacher practice
- There is a school-wide commitment to growing the capability of the staff to support and promote student achievement and engagement
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 62% · L2 57% · UE 22% · bottom quartile of band (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 4% · Te Pūkenga 0% · Industry 12% · below band median (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
51% to Y13 · bottom 10% of band (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 70.0/1k · suspensions 1.9/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · below band median (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
+3.0% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2023-06 · top 10% of band (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): 85/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-06-13 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Teachers are improvement focused and share enthusiasm for curriculum development
- School leadership and teachers engage in professional learning and development to improve teacher practice
- There is a school-wide commitment to growing the capability of the staff to support and promote student achievement and engagement
"School leadership and teachers engage in professional learning and development to improve teacher practice."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2023. Click a point to read that review.
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Leadership at Opihi College deteriorated significantly between 2015 and 2018. In 2015, the principal and senior leadership team were praised for making 'significant progress' and 'substantial improvements,' but by 2018, the board and senior leadership team were identified as needing 'stronger governance capability and clearer alignment of strategic goals to practice.'
2015-01 → 2018-06 diff source
Governance weakened significantly between 2015 and 2018. The 2015 report noted that trustees had developed strategic priorities giving leaders clarity about direction, but by 2018, the board and senior leadership team were identified as needing stronger governance capability with clearer alignment of strategic goals to practice, and non-compliance in performance appraisal processes.
2015-01 → 2018-06 diff source
Equity outcomes deteriorated significantly between 2015 and 2018. While the 2015 report highlighted 'Progress with supporting Māori students' success as Māori,' the 2018 report identified 'Smaller proportion of Māori learners achieving Level 2 and lower retention rates for Māori students.' Additionally, a gender equity gap emerged, with 'fewer boys than girls achieve Level 2 and 3' in 2018, and literacy achievement declined across Year 7-10.
2015-01 → 2018-06 diff source
Teaching quality showed concerning decline between 2015 and 2018. The 2015 report praised teachers for 'making significant improvement with engaging students in an increasingly relevant and interesting curriculum,' but the 2018 report identified declining student achievement in literacy and highlighted that governance and strategic alignment needed strengthening to support teaching improvements. While teachers showed 'willingness to research and adapt approaches,' the alignment from strategy to classroom practice became a critical gap.
2015-01 → 2018-06 diff source
The curriculum dimension shows a decline between 2015 and 2018. In 2015, leaders and teachers were making significant improvement with engaging students in an increasingly relevant and interesting curriculum. By 2018, this strength was no longer highlighted; instead, concerns emerged about declining literacy achievement from Year 7 to 10 and achievement gaps for boys and Māori students, with governance and alignment issues affecting curriculum implementation.
2015-01 → 2018-06 diff source
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
62.2%
23 of 37 leavers
-20.2pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
56.8%
21 of 37 leavers
-5.0pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
21.6%
8 of 37 leavers
-4.9pt 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.
51.4%
2024 cohort · 37 students
-4.5pt 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
70.0
34 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
1.9
1 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.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$4.98M
Per-student funding · 2022
$18,948
2018
$3.2M
2019
$4.4M
2020
$5.9M
2021
$8.0M
2022
$5.0M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 47
- Year 08 50
- Year 09 44
- Year 10 48
- Year 11 35
- Year 12 28
- Year 13+ 23
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 84.0%
- Māori 23.6%
- Asian 6.8%
- Pacific 3.0%
- Other / MELAA 1.1%
Location
Richard Pearse Drive, Temuka. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Opihi College.
St Joseph's School (Temuka)
Full Primary · 0.9km · 121 roll
70
+28 vs this
Temuka Primary School
Contributing · 0.9km · 226 roll
38
-4 vs this
Arowhenua Maori School
Full Primary · 2.5km · 34 roll
69
+27 vs this
Winchester Rural School
Contributing · 5.7km · 130 roll
46
+4 vs this
Waihi School
Full Primary · 7.5km · 120 roll
66
+24 vs this
Pleasant Point Primary School
Full Primary · 13km · 259 roll
45
+3 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Opihi College a good school?
Opihi 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 2023-06 review identified 3 key findings. Teachers are improvement focused and share enthusiasm for curriculum development
How do I enrol my child at Opihi College?
Contact the school directly on 03-6157442, email office@opihicollege.school.nz, or visit www.opihicollege.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?
Opihi College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Opihi College has 263 students, with an EQI of 504 (higher socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Opihi College in 2023-06, 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