Opunake High School
Tasman Street, Opunake · Taranaki & Manawatū
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,777 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Opunake High School has clear strategic intent to improve literacy schoolwide through aligned school systems and planned professional learning. The school has internal expertise available to lead and embed effective literacy practices across the school. An ERO review in January 2023 confirmed these strengths.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Opunake looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Opunake High School a good school?
Opunake High School scores 55/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. ERO trajectory is improving across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Clear strategic intent to improve literacy schoolwide through carefully aligned school systems
- Planned and ongoing professional learning of effective literacy strategies
- Internal expertise and knowledge that can lead and embed effective literacy practices across the school
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 94% · L2 84% · UE 58% · top quartile of band (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 11% · Te Pūkenga 4% · Industry 7% · below band median (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
77% to Y13 · near band median (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 80.0/1k · suspensions 3.1/1k · exclusions 1.9/1k · below band median (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
+4.4% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
81/100 from ERO review 2017-11 · above 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): 81/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-01-26 · Phil Cowie, Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
- Clear strategic intent to improve literacy schoolwide through carefully aligned school systems
- Planned and ongoing professional learning of effective literacy strategies in place
- Internal expertise and knowledge available to lead and embed effective literacy practices across the school
- New permanent principal appointed in term 3, 2021 providing fresh leadership direction
"deliberate use of literacy strategies used across the curriculum"
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2014–2017. Click a point to read that review.
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Māori achievement at Opunake High School improved significantly between 2014 and 2017. In 2014, Māori student achievement was 'slightly lower than schoolwide results overall,' but by 2017, the disparity had been substantially reduced, with Māori achievement now 'similar to their peers in the school for Level 1 and 2 and above their peers for Level 3 and University Entrance in 2016.'
2014-09 → 2017-11 diff source
Opunake High School made substantial progress on equity between 2014 and 2017. While the 2014 report noted a "strong commitment to Māori education with increased retention to Year 13 and improved Māori achievement over three years," the 2017 report demonstrated that "previous disparity for Māori has been reduced" with achievement "now similar to peers at Level 1-2 and above peers for Level 3," and the school achieved "strong progress toward achieving equity in educational outcomes."
2014-09 → 2017-11 diff source
Both reports highlight strong governance, but the 2017 report emphasizes trustees as drivers of innovation and future-focused leadership, whereas the 2014 report noted governance was 'sound' with 'well-developed trustee guidelines.' The 2017 report shows governance evolution toward strategic visioning and community collaboration.
2014-09 → 2017-11 diff source
The curriculum evolved from being driven by student needs and interests with innovative timetabling to a more structured approach featuring increased course flexibility and learning academies. Both reports emphasize responsiveness, but the 2017 report highlights formalized curriculum reviews and the development of learning academies as deliberate extensions of opportunity.
2014-09 → 2017-11 diff source
Leadership strengthened notably between 2014 and 2017. While the 2014 report noted leaders used achievement information well, the 2017 report describes senior leaders as actively driving innovation and improvement with stronger educational relationships. The 2017 report also highlights experienced trustees as 'future focused' and innovation-driven, whereas 2014 described governance as merely 'sound' with 'well-developed' guidelines.
2014-09 → 2017-11 diff source
Audited financials
Year ended 2023 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$6.64M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$243k
Net assets / equity
$1.32M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
93.5%
58 of 62 leavers
-0.8pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
83.9%
52 of 62 leavers
+3.9pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
58.1%
36 of 62 leavers
-3.3pt 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.
77.4%
2024 cohort · 62 students
+7.4pt 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
80.0
42 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
3.1
2 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
1.9
1 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 6
- Social and Community Services 1
- Creative Industries 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
$4.38M
Per-student funding · 2022
$15,332
2018
$3.6M
2019
$4.2M
2020
$4.6M
2021
$4.5M
2022
$4.4M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 55
- Year 10 74
- Year 11 79
- Year 12 63
- Year 13+ 36
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 80.1%
- Māori 44.4%
- Asian 6.6%
- Pacific 2.8%
- Other / MELAA 1.4%
Location
Tasman Street, Opunake. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Opunake High School.
Frequently asked
Is Opunake High School a good school?
Opunake High School scores 55/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. ERO trajectory is improving across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2023-01 review identified 4 key findings. Clear strategic intent to improve literacy schoolwide through carefully aligned school systems
How do I enrol my child at Opunake High School?
Contact the school directly on 06-7618723, email admin@opunake.school.nz, or visit www.opunake.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?
Opunake High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Opunake High School has 286 students, with an EQI of 503 (higher socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Opunake High School in 2023-01, signed by Phil Cowie. 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
- opunake.school.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz