Ponatahi Christian School
6 Howard Street, Carterton · Wellington
See all schools in Carterton →
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,643 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Ponatahi Christian School is a composite school in Carterton with a roll of 133. Most senior students achieve well in NCEA Levels 2 and 3, and most learners in Years 1 to 8 achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics. The school has implemented a Positive Behaviour Framework that is beginning to benefit learner wellbeing and engagement, though lifting achievement in external achievement standards and improving progress information for Years 9 and 10 remain priorities. The school has a composite score of 55.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Carterton looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Ponatahi Christian School a good school?
Ponatahi Christian School scores 59/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Most senior students achieve well in NCEA Levels 2 and 3
- Most learners in Years 1 to 8 achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics
- Positive Behaviour Framework is beginning to have beneficial impact on wellbeing 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 100% · L2 63% · UE 25% · bottom 10% of band (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 1% · Te Pūkenga 0% · Industry 0% · bottom 10% of band (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
100% to Y13 · top 10% of band (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 0.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · top 10% of band (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+7.3% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
55/100 from ERO review 2024-08 · bottom 10% of band (n=520) · 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): 55/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-08-13 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Most senior students achieve well in NCEA Levels 2 and 3, though lifting engagement and achievement in external achievement standards is a priority
- Most learners in Years 1 to 8 achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; for Years 9 and 10, progress and achievement information is limited and not fully used
- Leaders have developed and implemented a 'Positive Behaviour Framework' and this is beginning to have a beneficial impact on learner wellbeing and engagement
- Leaders are beginning to establish systems and processes to foster a culture committed to high quality teaching and improved learner outcomes
- Regular attendance is higher than the Ministry of Education 2024 target
"Most senior students achieve well in National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) Levels 2 and 3 (Level 1 NCEA is not offered); lifting engagement and achievement in external achievement standards is a priority."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2020–2024. 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
100.0%
8 of 8 leavers
0.0pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
62.5%
5 of 8 leavers
-37.5pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
25.0%
2 of 8 leavers
-45.0pt 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.
100.0%
2024 cohort · 8 students
+30.0pt 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
0.0
· NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Manufacturing and Technology 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
$1.62M
Per-student funding · 2022
$12,215
2018
$1.3M
2019
$1.4M
2020
$1.6M
2021
$1.6M
2022
$1.6M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 16
- Year 02 8
- Year 03 10
- Year 04 12
- Year 05 18
- Year 06 7
- Year 07 14
- Year 08 7
- Year 09 8
- Year 10 12
- Year 11 12
- Year 12 3
- Year 13+ 5
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 74.4%
- Asian 22.6%
- Other / MELAA 2.3%
- Māori 1.5%
- Pacific 0.8%
Location
6 Howard Street, Carterton. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Ponatahi Christian School.
St Mary's School (Carterton)
Full Primary · 0.2km · 131 roll
71
+12 vs this
South End School
Full Primary · 0.3km · 192 roll
77
+18 vs this
Carterton School
Full Primary · 0.9km · 229 roll
70
+11 vs this
Dalefield School
Full Primary · 3.8km · 85 roll
74
+15 vs this
Greytown School
Full Primary · 7.6km · 335 roll
59
0 vs this
Kuranui College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 9km · 769 roll
66
+7 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Ponatahi Christian School a good school?
Ponatahi Christian School scores 59/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2024-08 review identified 5 key findings. Most senior students achieve well in NCEA Levels 2 and 3, though lifting engagement and achievement in external achievement standards is a priority
How do I enrol my child at Ponatahi Christian School?
Contact the school directly on 06-3798840, email office@ponatahi.school.nz, or visit www.ponatahi.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?
Ponatahi Christian School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Ponatahi Christian School has 133 students, with an EQI of 431 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Ponatahi Christian School in 2024-08, 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
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz