Tarawera High School
58-122 River Road, Kawerau · Bay of Plenty
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,190 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Tarawera High School's 2023 ERO review found a responsive, localised curriculum promoting equitable and accelerated outcomes, aligned with school vision and values. The school demonstrates strong leadership sustaining a culture of inclusiveness with focus on relational trust and cultural responsiveness, and leaders are engaged in professional knowledge building to enhance teaching effectiveness. The school achieved a composite score of 79.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Kawerau looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Tarawera High School a good school?
Tarawera High School scores 41/100 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
- A responsive, localised curriculum promoting equitable and accelerated ākonga outcomes, that aligns with the school's vision, values and goals
- School leadership that sustains a culture of inclusiveness, with a strong focus on relational trust and cultural responsiveness
- Leaders are continually engaged in professional knowledge building to enhance teaching effectiveness
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 37% · near band median (n=142) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 0% · Te Pūkenga 3% · Industry 5% · near band median (n=123) · why? ▼ hide
61% to Y13 · below band median (n=166) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 192.0/1k · suspensions 5.0/1k · exclusions 2.8/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=539) · why? ▼ hide
+4.1% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=524) · why? ▼ hide
79/100 from ERO review 2023-03 · above band median (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): 79/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-03-07 · Phil Cowie, Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
- A responsive, localised curriculum promoting equitable and accelerated ākonga outcomes, aligned with school vision, values and goals
- School leadership sustains a culture of inclusiveness with strong focus on relational trust and cultural responsiveness
- Leaders continually engaged in professional knowledge building to enhance teaching effectiveness
- Visible school values contribute to positive school culture for ākonga and kaiako
"School leadership that sustains a culture of inclusiveness, with a strong focus on relational trust and cultural responsiveness"
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2019–2023. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2021 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$8.03M
Surplus / (deficit)
$227k
Net assets / equity
$3.90M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
76.7%
33 of 43 leavers
-3.7pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
60.5%
26 of 43 leavers
-2.5pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
37.2%
16 of 43 leavers
-6.3pt 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.
60.5%
2024 cohort · 43 students
-6.9pt 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
192.0
140 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
5.0
4 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
2.8
2 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Construction and Infrastructure 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
$5.46M
Per-student funding · 2022
$12,780
2018
$4.5M
2019
$4.5M
2020
$5.4M
2021
$5.6M
2022
$5.5M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 63
- Year 08 65
- Year 09 85
- Year 10 78
- Year 11 66
- Year 12 59
- Year 13+ 48
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- Māori 87.1%
- European/Pākehā 20.4%
- Pacific 5.9%
- Asian 2.6%
Location
58-122 River Road, Kawerau. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Tarawera High School.
Te Whata Tau o Putauaki
Composite · 0.5km · 80 roll
87
+46 vs this
Te Tari Ako Matua Taiohi Education Centre
Teen Parent Unit · 1.1km · roll n/a
95
+54 vs this
Kawerau South School
Contributing · 1.3km · 365 roll
76
+35 vs this
Kawerau Putauaki School
Contributing · 2.1km · 143 roll
63
+22 vs this
Te Mahoe School
Full Primary · 9.6km · 31 roll
70
+29 vs this
Te Kura O Te Teko
Full Primary · 9.7km · 155 roll
68
+27 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Tarawera High School a good school?
Tarawera High School scores 41/100 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 2023-03 review identified 4 key findings. A responsive, localised curriculum promoting equitable and accelerated ākonga outcomes, aligned with school vision, values and goals
How do I enrol my child at Tarawera High School?
Contact the school directly on 07-3236553, email office@tarawera.school.nz, or visit www.tarawera.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?
Tarawera High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Tarawera High School has 427 students, with an EQI of 545 (higher socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Tarawera High School in 2023-03, signed by Phil Cowie. 3 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