Opononi Area School
263 State Highway 12, Omapere · Northland
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,218 of scored NZ schools
Active MoE intervention — limited statutory manager
A limited statutory manager has been appointed to Opononi Area School as of 2023-10-13. NZ Gazette notice
In summary
Opononi Area School is at initial stages of addressing areas identified in its October 2022 review, with ongoing Ministry of Education support including active limited statutory manager intervention. The school maintains a positive, settled environment where learners are on task and respectful, though Years 11-13 NCEA results declined significantly in 2022 and attendance levels remain low. Composite score: 38.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Omapere looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Opononi Area School a good school?
Opononi Area School 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
- Positive, settled school environment with learners on task and respectful staff-student interactions
- Students report a sense of belonging and value their friendships
- Acting principal has strengthened relationships with local community and school premises becoming a hub for activities
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 63% · L2 50% · UE 13% · bottom quartile of band (n=142) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 1% · Te Pūkenga 1% · Industry 1% · below band median (n=123) · why? ▼ hide
75% to Y13 · near band median (n=166) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 62.3/1k · suspensions 6.1/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · below band median (n=539) · why? ▼ hide
+18.0% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=524) · why? ▼ hide
38/100 from ERO review 2023-10 · bottom 10% of band (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): 38/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-10-17 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- The school is at initial stages of addressing areas for review and development identified in October 2022, requiring ongoing Ministry of Education support
- ERO observations confirmed a positive, settled school environment with respectful interactions, though Years 11-13 NCEA results declined significantly in 2022 and require urgent attention
- Attendance levels remain low with very few learners attending more than 90% of the time and high numbers attending less than 70%
- Schoolwide assessment practices require strengthening; ensuring Years 1-10 data is dependable and used to target teaching is a key next step
- Acting school leaders and the board are working positively with Ministry support, though the effectiveness of school leadership and stewardship continues to require significant improvement
"The effectiveness of school leadership and stewardship continues to require significant improvement."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2016–2023. 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
62.5%
5 of 8 leavers
-10.8pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
50.0%
4 of 8 leavers
-3.3pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
12.5%
1 of 8 leavers
-7.5pt 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.
75.0%
2024 cohort · 8 students
+35.0pt 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
62.3
10 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
6.1
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
$2.41M
Per-student funding · 2022
$15,578
2018
$2.3M
2019
$3.2M
2020
$3.4M
2021
$2.7M
2022
$2.4M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 4
- Year 02 11
- Year 03 10
- Year 04 9
- Year 05 13
- Year 06 12
- Year 07 13
- Year 08 13
- Year 09 14
- Year 10 22
- Year 11 16
- Year 12 14
- Year 13+ 6
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- Māori 87.7%
- European/Pākehā 33.5%
- Pacific 7.7%
- Asian 2.6%
- Other / MELAA 1.3%
Location
263 State Highway 12, Omapere. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Opononi Area School.
Frequently asked
Is Opononi Area School a good school?
Opononi Area School 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 2023-10 review identified 6 key findings. The school is at initial stages of addressing areas for review and development identified in October 2022, requiring ongoing Ministry of Education support
How do I enrol my child at Opononi Area School?
Contact the school directly on 09-4058500, email anitaw@opononi.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?
Opononi Area School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Opononi Area School has 155 students, with an EQI of 537 (higher socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Opononi Area School in 2023-10, signed by Shelley Booysen. 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
- gazette.govt.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz