South Otago High School
Frances Street, Rosebank · Otago & Southland
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,674 of scored NZ schools
In summary
South Otago High School received an ERO review in February 2023 under Te Ara Huarau. The school has made progress in embedding an inclusive and respectful environment, with staff working together on positive engagement and raising student achievement. Teachers have made progress catering to diverse learner needs in classrooms. The school's composite score is 67.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Rosebank looking for a state-funded setting.
Is South Otago High School a good school?
South Otago High School scores 58/100 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
- The ways in which staff work together to contribute to the school wide focus on positive engagement and raising student achievement
- Its increasing success in embedding an environment that is inclusive and respectful, supporting greater engagement in learning
- The progress teachers have made catering to the diverse needs of learners in their classrooms
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 88% · L2 77% · UE 41% · above band median (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 13% · Te Pūkenga 16% · Industry 14% · top 10% of band (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
82% to Y13 · above band median (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 53.7/1k · suspensions 22.5/1k · exclusions 4.8/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
+18.3% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
67/100 from ERO review 2023-02 · bottom quartile of band (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): 67/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-02-28 · Kathy Lye, Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
- Staff work together to contribute to school-wide focus on positive engagement and raising student achievement
- School has made progress embedding an inclusive and respectful environment supporting greater engagement in learning
- Teachers have made progress catering to diverse needs of learners in classrooms
- School's te ao Māori curriculum reflects commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
- Curriculum is flexible and responsive, aligning well to senior students' needs and pathways beyond school
"ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of the school's curriculum design and implementation in relation to mātauranga Māori and differentiation"
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2023. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$8.86M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$576k
Net assets / equity
$4.04M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
87.5%
91 of 104 leavers
+6.5pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
76.9%
80 of 104 leavers
+6.9pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
41.3%
43 of 104 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.
81.7%
2024 cohort · 104 students
+12.7pt 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
53.7
45 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
22.5
23 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
4.8
4 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 9
- Manufacturing and Technology 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
$5.34M
Per-student funding · 2022
$10,911
2018
$4.5M
2019
$5.6M
2020
$5.5M
2021
$6.2M
2022
$5.3M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 101
- Year 10 116
- Year 11 116
- Year 12 98
- Year 13+ 93
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 72.2%
- Māori 16.0%
- Asian 11.0%
- Pacific 7.8%
- Other / MELAA 3.3%
- International 0.2%
Location
Frances Street, Rosebank. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with South Otago High School.
Rosebank School (Balclutha)
Full Primary · 0.3km · 224 roll
44
-14 vs this
St Joseph's School (Balclutha)
Full Primary · 0.9km · 70 roll
88
+30 vs this
Balclutha School
Full Primary · 1.3km · 239 roll
77
+19 vs this
Stirling School
Full Primary · 3.9km · 88 roll
76
+18 vs this
Warepa School
Full Primary · 8.5km · 72 roll
89
+31 vs this
Kaitangata School
Full Primary · 10.3km · 100 roll
59
+1 vs this
Frequently asked
Is South Otago High School a good school?
South Otago High School scores 58/100 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 2023-02 review identified 5 key findings. Staff work together to contribute to school-wide focus on positive engagement and raising student achievement
How do I enrol my child at South Otago High School?
Contact the school directly on 03-4180517, email principal@sohs.school.nz, or visit www.sohs.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?
South Otago High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
South Otago High School has 489 students, with an EQI of 475 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed South Otago High School in 2023-02, signed by Kathy Lye. 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
- sohs.ibcdn.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz