Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau
85 Howden Drive, Queenstown · Otago & Southland
See all schools in Queenstown →
Composite score
Established
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #441 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau opened in February 2022 and serves a diverse, rapidly growing area in Queenstown. ERO identified strengths in the school's inclusive and learning-focused culture, strong leadership and teaching capability, and cohesive strategic planning centred on the whole child. The school is working with ERO to evaluate how leaders and teachers are improving learner outcomes by creating an environment where students are confident in their identity and sense of belonging, with a composite score of 78.
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Queenstown looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau a good school?
Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau scores 79/100 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
- An inclusive and learning focused culture
- Strong leadership and teaching capability across the school
- Cohesive and connected strategic planning that focuses on the whole child
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 35.3/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=536) · why? ▼ hide
+232.1% roll over 3yr (2022→2025) · top 10% of band (n=534) · why? ▼ hide
78/100 from ERO review 2023-05 · below band median (n=539) · 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): 78/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-05-15 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau is a new school that opened in February 2022 in the rapidly growing Hanley's Farm and Jacks Point area in Queenstown, catering for learners years 1-8 from diverse cultures
- The school has identified four strategic priorities including developing authentic connections with whānau, hapū and iwi, and enhancing inclusive practices that promote social relationship skills and emotional intelligence
- ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how leaders and teachers are improving learner outcomes by creating a learning environment where tamariki are confident in their identity and have a sense of belonging
- An inclusive and learning focused culture, cohesive strategic planning focused on the whole child, and a strong vision drive the school's direction
"ensure equity and excellence for all tamariki"
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$4.97M
Surplus / (deficit)
$37k
Net assets / equity
$1.77M
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
35.3
7 this year · 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
$3.39M
Per-student funding · 2022
$7,026
2018
$7.2M
2019
$0.1M
2020
$1.5M
2021
$19.7M
2022
$3.4M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 70
- Year 02 82
- Year 03 70
- Year 04 63
- Year 05 38
- Year 06 41
- Year 07 60
- Year 08 31
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 67.7%
- Asian 25.7%
- Other / MELAA 8.5%
- Māori 7.0%
- Pacific 3.3%
Location
85 Howden Drive, Queenstown. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau.
Wakatipu High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 4.7km · 1,423 roll
73
-6 vs this
Remarkables Primary School
Full Primary · 5.1km · 459 roll
66
-13 vs this
Kingsview School
Full Primary · 5.8km · 78 roll
22
-57 vs this
Liger Leadership Academy
Composite · 6.1km · 48 roll
90
+11 vs this
Shotover Primary School
Full Primary · 7.3km · 605 roll
79
0 vs this
St Joseph's School (Queenstown)
Full Primary · 7.5km · 139 roll
44
-35 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau a good school?
Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau scores 79/100 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 2023-05 review identified 4 key findings. Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau is a new school that opened in February 2022 in the rapidly growing Hanley's Farm and Jacks Point area in Queenstown, catering for learners years 1-8 from diverse cultures
How do I enrol my child at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau?
Contact the school directly on 03-9744644, email office@kawarau.school.nz, or visit www.kawarau.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?
Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau has 483 students, with an EQI of 405 (lower socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau in 2023-05, signed by Shelley Booysen. 2 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
- drive.google.com
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz