Rotorua Girls' High School
251 Old Taupo Road, Hillcrest · Bay of Plenty
See all schools in Hillcrest →
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,875 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Rotorua Girls' High School is a secondary school in Hillcrest with a composite score of 82. The school operates Te Whare Whawhao hostel, which opened in 2023 and accommodates up to 50 boarders in a purpose-built facility. ERO found policies and procedures are fit for purpose, with student wellbeing and engagement central to care provision, supported by the hostel's bicultural foundation and purposeful connections with external agencies.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Hillcrest looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Rotorua Girls' High School a good school?
Rotorua Girls' High School scores 52/100 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
- Te Whare Whawhao's bicultural foundation clearly aligns with Rotorua Girls' High School values
- Consistent transition from hostel to school focusing on engagement, learning and wellbeing
- Purposeful connections with external agencies and hostel providers to support ongoing review and improvement
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 77% · L2 61% · UE 39% · near band median (n=142) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 12% · Te Pūkenga 10% · Industry 1% · top 10% of band (n=123) · why? ▼ hide
61% to Y13 · below band median (n=166) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 37.3/1k · suspensions 6.3/1k · exclusions 0.8/1k · near band median (n=539) · why? ▼ hide
+9.3% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=524) · why? ▼ hide
82/100 from ERO review 2025-01 · top quartile 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): 82/100.
Latest ERO review
2025-01-24 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Te Whare Whawhao hostel was licensed in August 2022 and opened for boarders in 2023, accommodating up to 50 boarders in a purpose-built facility
- Policies and procedures are now fit for purpose to ensure provision of a safe physical and emotional environment for boarders
- Student wellbeing and engagement are central to care provision, with learning opportunities and extra-curricular activities available
- Boarders are provided with increasing leadership opportunities to create an inclusive culture within hostel operations
- Previous non-compliance areas regarding security, food safety, and complaints procedures have been addressed by the hostel owner
"Student wellbeing and engagement are central to the care and provision provided, with a range of learning opportunities and extra-curricular activities available for borders to participate in."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2017–2025. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$12.68M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$139k
Net assets / equity
$2.46M
2 years of audited data on file · View full history (Pro)
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
76.8%
109 of 142 leavers
+5.5pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
61.3%
87 of 142 leavers
+2.6pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
38.7%
55 of 142 leavers
+8.0pt 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.
61.3%
2024 cohort · 142 students
+2.0pt 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
37.3
44 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
6.3
9 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.8
1 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Creative Industries 13
- Service Industries 9
- Social and Community Services 2
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
$8.12M
Per-student funding · 2022
$13,648
2018
$5.2M
2019
$5.0M
2020
$6.4M
2021
$6.7M
2022
$8.1M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 170
- Year 10 167
- Year 11 143
- Year 12 104
- Year 13+ 85
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- Māori 73.9%
- European/Pākehā 32.9%
- Pacific 17.5%
- Asian 6.6%
- Other / MELAA 2.5%
- International 0.3%
Location
251 Old Taupo Road, Hillcrest. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Rotorua Girls' High School.
Malfroy School
Contributing · 0.4km · 299 roll
71
+19 vs this
Rotorua Intermediate
Intermediate · 0.6km · 636 roll
41
-11 vs this
Glenholme School
Contributing · 0.7km · 356 roll
44
-8 vs this
St Mary's Catholic School (Rotorua)
Contributing · 0.9km · 479 roll
79
+27 vs this
Awhina School/ Activity Centre
Activity Centre · 0.9km · roll n/a
81
+29 vs this
John Paul College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 0.9km · 1,097 roll
81
+29 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Rotorua Girls' High School a good school?
Rotorua Girls' High School scores 52/100 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 2025-01 review identified 5 key findings. Te Whare Whawhao hostel was licensed in August 2022 and opened for boarders in 2023, accommodating up to 50 boarders in a purpose-built facility
How do I enrol my child at Rotorua Girls' High School?
Contact the school directly on 07-3480156, email principal@rghs.school.nz, or visit www.rghs.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?
Rotorua Girls' High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Rotorua Girls' High School has 595 students, with an EQI of 522 (higher socio-economic need). It is a girls school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Rotorua Girls' High School in 2025-01, 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
- rghs.school.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz