Southland Girls' High School
328 Tweed Street, Georgetown · Otago & Southland
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Composite score
Established
Above median
Rank #751 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Southland Girls' High School received a composite score of 80 in its November 2022 ERO review. The school demonstrates high expectations across leadership and staff, with consistently high student achievement. Key strengths include an embedded culture of self-improvement based on evidence, strong pastoral systems centred on student wellbeing, and collaborative staff culture focused on learning outcomes.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Georgetown looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Southland Girls' High School a good school?
Southland Girls' High School scores 75/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. ERO trajectory has declined across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- High expectations of leaders for students and staff contributing to consistently high levels of student achievement across the school
- An embedded culture of self-improvement and willingness to try new things based on sound evidence and research
- A school culture where staff collaborate, and co-construct change for the benefit of all learners to improve student performance and wellbeing
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 98% · L2 88% · UE 65% · top 10% of band (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 26% · Te Pūkenga 23% · Industry 7% · top 10% of band (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
91% to Y13 · top 10% of band (n=86) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 18.3/1k · suspensions 1.1/1k · exclusions 1.3/1k · near band median (n=404) · why? ▼ hide
+3.0% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=403) · why? ▼ hide
80/100 from ERO review 2022-11 · above band median (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): 80/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-11-09 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
- High expectations of leaders for students and staff contributing to consistently high levels of student achievement across the school
- An embedded culture of self-improvement and willingness to try new things based on sound evidence and research
- Strong pastoral systems and processes that ensure that students are cared for, nurtured and educated in a place where students are at the centre of all teaching and learning
- School will prioritise consulting with whānau, hapū and iwi to develop stronger partnerships
- Increasing ways to ensure equity and inclusivity for all learners is a priority moving forward
"High expectations of leaders for students and staff contributing to consistently high levels of student achievement across the school."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2017–2022. Click a point to read that review.
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Both reports affirm strong teaching practices, but the emphasis shifted. The 2017 report highlighted a 'highly responsive and thoughtfully designed curriculum that is learner-centred and future focused' with 'effective assessment and moderation procedures.' The 2022 report maintains that students are 'at the centre of all teaching and learning' but emphasizes 'staff collaborate, and co-construct change' and an 'embedded culture of self-improvement,' suggesting a move toward collaborative, evidence-based continuous improvement rather than established curricular excellence.
2017-09 → 2022-11 diff source
While both reports describe strong student achievement, the 2017 report emphasized students achieving and progressing 'very well' with upward NCEA trends higher than national comparisons (score: 90). The 2022 report maintains high expectations and 'consistently high levels of student achievement' but with a lower score (83), and shifts focus toward equity, inclusivity, and strengthening whānau/iwi partnerships as emerging priorities.
2017-09 → 2022-11 diff source
Both reports rate leadership as a strength, but with a shift in emphasis. The 2017 report highlighted 'highly effective leadership at multiple levels' with active encouragement of leadership development. The 2022 report maintains high expectations of leaders but emphasizes collaborative culture and strategic coherence, with less explicit focus on distributed leadership development.
2017-09 → 2022-11 diff source
Both reports emphasize strong pastoral care and student wellbeing, but the 2022 report elevates wellbeing as an explicit priority alongside achievement. The 2017 report focuses on academic progress and curriculum effectiveness, while the 2022 report explicitly names 'strong pastoral systems' as a core strength and commits to improving 'equity and inclusivity for all learners' as a forward priority.
2017-09 → 2022-11 diff source
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$14.30M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$238k
Net assets / equity
$2.18M
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
97.6%
124 of 127 leavers
+7.0pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
88.2%
112 of 127 leavers
+5.5pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
65.4%
83 of 127 leavers
+14.2pt 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.
91.3%
2024 cohort · 127 students
+11.0pt 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
18.3
30 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
1.1
2 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
1.3
2 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 27
- Creative Industries 7
- Primary Industries 4
- Social and Community Services 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
$9.26M
Per-student funding · 2022
$8,715
2018
$7.7M
2019
$8.2M
2020
$8.4M
2021
$9.1M
2022
$9.3M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 165
- Year 08 139
- Year 09 181
- Year 10 170
- Year 11 173
- Year 12 136
- Year 13+ 117
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 74.5%
- Māori 22.1%
- Pacific 7.0%
- Asian 6.4%
- Other / MELAA 2.8%
- International 2.0%
International students
SIEBA member · Boarding available
Location
328 Tweed Street, Georgetown. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Southland Girls' High School.
Invercargill Middle School
Contributing · 0.9km · 173 roll
38
-37 vs this
St Joseph's School (Invercargill)
Full Primary · 1km · 178 roll
80
+5 vs this
Newfield Park School
Contributing · 1.2km · 223 roll
43
-32 vs this
St Patrick's School (Invercargill)
Contributing · 1.4km · 299 roll
65
-10 vs this
Murihiku Young Parents' Learning Centre
Teen Parent Unit · 1.6km · roll n/a
68
-7 vs this
Fernworth Primary School
Contributing · 1.6km · 262 roll
46
-29 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Southland Girls' High School a good school?
Southland Girls' High School scores 75/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. ERO trajectory has declined across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2022-11 review identified 5 key findings. High expectations of leaders for students and staff contributing to consistently high levels of student achievement across the school
How do I enrol my child at Southland Girls' High School?
Contact the school directly on 03-2116030, email excellence@southlandgirls.school.nz, or visit www.southlandgirls.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?
Southland 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?
Southland Girls' High School has 1,063 students, with an EQI of 463 (mid-range socio-economic context). It is a girls school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Southland Girls' High School in 2022-11, signed by Dr Lesley Patterson. 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
- southlandgirls.school.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz