Spotswood College
129 South Road, New Plymouth · Taranaki & Manawatū
See all schools in New Plymouth →
Composite score
Established
Below median
Rank #1,591 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Spotswood College is a values-driven school that prioritises inclusiveness and cultural responsiveness. Leadership focuses on equitable and excellent outcomes through partnerships for learning, with a student-centred curriculum responsive to learner needs, interests and passions. The school achieved a composite score of 83 in its 2022 ERO review.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in New Plymouth looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Spotswood College a good school?
Spotswood College scores 60/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below 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
- a strong values-driven school where inclusiveness and cultural responsiveness are prioritised
- leadership that has a relentless focus on equitable and excellent outcomes through partnerships for learning
- curriculum that places the student at the centre of their learning and responds to their needs, interests and passions
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 81% · L2 69% · UE 44% · below band median (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 10% · Te Pūkenga 13% · Industry 9% · above band median (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
62% to Y13 · bottom quartile of band (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 24.6/1k · suspensions 0.5/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · above band median (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
+21.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
83/100 from ERO review 2022-07 · top 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): 83/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-07-11 · Phil Cowie, Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
- School has identified partnerships for learning as a key support for ākonga learning and achievement
- Strong values-driven school where inclusiveness and cultural responsiveness are prioritised
- Leadership has a relentless focus on equitable and excellent outcomes through partnerships for learning
- Curriculum places the student at the centre of their learning and responds to their needs, interests and passions
- Established internal evaluation practices support robust decision-making for improved outcomes
"ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the school is addressing equity through the strengthening of whānau, hapū and iwi partnerships to meet the needs of all learners/ākonga in a Te Tiriti o Waitangi led school."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2018–2022. 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 Spotsywood College's strong commitment to equity and cultural responsiveness, but the emphasis shifted from demonstrating concrete Māori achievement gains (2018) to adopting a partnership-led approach with whānau, hapū and iwi (2022). The 2018 report highlighted measurable progress in Māori NCEA outcomes; the 2022 report frames equity work through relational partnerships and Te Tiriti o Waitangi alignment, suggesting a deepening philosophical approach rather than documented achievement gains.
2018-01 → 2022-07 diff source
Both reports emphasize responsive and flexible curriculum, but the 2022 report sharpens the focus to place the student at the centre of their learning, responding to their needs, interests and passions. The 2018 report highlighted "improved and flexible curriculum provision" enabling student success, while 2022 made student-centred, passion-driven learning an explicit curricular principle.
2018-01 → 2022-07 diff source
Both reports commend the school's leadership for a relentless focus on equitable and excellent outcomes. The 2018 report emphasizes trustees and senior leaders' purposeful selection and review of strategies, while the 2022 report shifts the emphasis to leadership's relentless focus achieved specifically through partnerships for learning as a key support mechanism.
2018-01 → 2022-07 diff source
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
81.4%
158 of 194 leavers
+6.5pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
69.1%
134 of 194 leavers
+4.4pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
43.8%
85 of 194 leavers
+4.8pt 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.
62.4%
2024 cohort · 194 students
+4.6pt 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
24.6
38 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.5
1 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 9
- Creative Industries 9
- Manufacturing and Technology 1
- 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
$9.71M
Per-student funding · 2022
$10,659
2018
$8.5M
2019
$10.5M
2020
$9.1M
2021
$8.9M
2022
$9.7M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 224
- Year 10 233
- Year 11 202
- Year 12 164
- Year 13+ 116
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 77.1%
- Māori 36.8%
- Asian 4.6%
- Other / MELAA 4.3%
- Pacific 3.8%
- International 1.9%
Location
129 South Road, New Plymouth. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Spotswood College.
Te Pi'ipi'inga Kakano Mai I Rangiatea
Composite · 0.2km · 153 roll
57
-3 vs this
Spotswood Primary School
Contributing · 0.3km · 231 roll
38
-22 vs this
Moturoa School
Contributing · 0.8km · 133 roll
43
-17 vs this
Marfell Community School
Contributing · 0.9km · 130 roll
50
-10 vs this
St Joseph's School (New Plymouth)
Contributing · 1.5km · 297 roll
67
+7 vs this
Devon Intermediate
Intermediate · 1.8km · 340 roll
31
-29 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Spotswood College a good school?
Spotswood College scores 60/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below 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 2022-07 review identified 5 key findings. School has identified partnerships for learning as a key support for ākonga learning and achievement
How do I enrol my child at Spotswood College?
Contact the school directly on 06-7512416, email admin@spotswoodcollege.school.nz, or visit spotswoodcollege.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?
Spotswood College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Spotswood College has 911 students, with an EQI of 493 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Spotswood College in 2022-07, signed by Phil Cowie. 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