Russell School (Bay Of Islands)
8 Baker Street, Russell · Northland
Composite score
Established
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #524 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Russell School achieved strong learner outcomes in mathematics with almost all students at or above expected curriculum levels, and most in reading and writing. Students demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school that supports their wellbeing and engagement. The school's composite score is 83, though attendance rates remain below the Ministry of Education's target for regular attendance.
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Russell looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Russell School (Bay Of Islands) a good school?
Russell School (Bay Of Islands) scores 78/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Board attested to compliance across six key regulatory areas: Board Administration, Curriculum, Management of Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel Management, Finance, and Assets
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=404) · why? ▼ hide
-8.1% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · below band median (n=403) · why? ▼ hide
83/100 from ERO review 2024-09 · top quartile of band (n=406) · 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): 83/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-09-27 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel Management, Finance, and Assets
- Non-compliance identified: failure to renew police vets for non-teaching staff every three years (s 104 Education and Training Act 2020)
- Board has since addressed the identified area of non-compliance
"As of June 2024, the Russell School (Bay Of Islands) Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements"
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2013–2024. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2023 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$1.13M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$77k
Net assets / equity
$0.58M
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
$1.31M
Per-student funding · 2022
$17,982
2018
$0.6M
2019
$0.6M
2020
$1.3M
2021
$0.8M
2022
$1.3M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 10
- Year 02 9
- Year 03 4
- Year 04 14
- Year 05 9
- Year 06 12
- Year 07 6
- Year 08 4
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 68.5%
- Māori 64.4%
- Pacific 8.2%
- Other / MELAA 5.5%
- Asian 4.1%
Location
8 Baker Street, Russell. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Russell School (Bay Of Islands).
Paihia School
Full Primary · 3.8km · 156 roll
55
-23 vs this
Opua School
Full Primary · 5.9km · 103 roll
82
+4 vs this
Karetu School
Full Primary · 12.7km · 81 roll
58
-20 vs this
Te Kura o Waikare
Composite · 13.2km · 85 roll
78
0 vs this
Bay of Islands College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 13.8km · 472 roll
45
-33 vs this
Kawakawa Primary School
Full Primary · 14.4km · 257 roll
51
-27 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Russell School (Bay Of Islands) a good school?
Russell School (Bay Of Islands) scores 78/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2024-09 review identified 3 key findings. Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel Management, Finance, and Assets
How do I enrol my child at Russell School (Bay Of Islands)?
Contact the school directly on 09-4037016, email administration@russell.school.nz, or visit russell.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?
Russell School (Bay Of Islands) is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Russell School (Bay Of Islands) has 73 students, with an EQI of 465 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Russell School (Bay Of Islands) in 2024-09, signed by Shelley Booysen. 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
- web.archive.org
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz