Poolburn School
1017 Ida Valley-Omakau Road, Oturehua · Otago & Southland
Composite score
Strong
Top 10% in NZ
Rank #196 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Poolburn School's most recent ERO review (March 2025) found that almost all learners achieve at or above curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics with no significant inequities between groups. The school is noted for fostering a strong sense of belonging, meaningful pastoral care, and a collaborative teaching culture. Strengths include seamless home-school communication via Seesaw, increasing progress rates for at-risk students, and strengthened school and community partnerships.
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Oturehua looking for a state-funded setting with a strong recent ERO trajectory.
Is Poolburn School a good school?
Poolburn School scores 85/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 10% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
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.
standdowns 0.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · top 10% of band (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+15.6% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
82/100 from ERO review 2025-03 · above band median (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): 82/100.
Latest ERO review
2025-03-17 · Sharon Kelly, ERO
- Board has attested to meeting Board Administration regulatory and legislative requirements
- Board has attested to meeting Curriculum regulatory and legislative requirements
- Board has attested to meeting Management of Health, Safety and Welfare requirements
- Board has attested to meeting Personnel Management regulatory and legislative requirements
"As of February 2025, the Poolburn School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements"
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2022–2025. Click a point to read that review.
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
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
$0.49M
Per-student funding · 2022
$11,692
2018
$0.3M
2019
$0.3M
2020
$0.5M
2021
$0.4M
2022
$0.5M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 2
- Year 02 7
- Year 03 4
- Year 04 2
- Year 05 4
- Year 06 7
- Year 07 6
- Year 08 5
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 90.5%
- Māori 16.7%
Location
1017 Ida Valley-Omakau Road, Oturehua. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Poolburn School.
Frequently asked
Is Poolburn School a good school?
Poolburn School scores 85/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 10% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2025-03 review identified 4 key findings. Board has attested to meeting Board Administration regulatory and legislative requirements
How do I enrol my child at Poolburn School?
Contact the school directly on 03-4474866, email office@poolburn.school.nz, or visit www.sporty.co.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
Poolburn School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Poolburn School has 42 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 Poolburn School in 2025-03, signed by Sharon Kelly. 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
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz