Te Waitai Sefton School
603 Upper Sefton Road, Sefton · Canterbury
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,084 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Te Waitai Sefton School achieves equitable and excellent outcomes for most students, though disparities exist for boys and Māori students in reading and writing. The school effectively accelerates learning for students who need it, maintaining responsive and inclusive environments with strong student-teacher relationships. The school's composite score is 68.
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Sefton looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Te Waitai Sefton School a good school?
Te Waitai Sefton School scores 45/100 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
- Staff having a good knowledge of learners and promoting responsive teaching practices
- Values-focused approach to all aspects of learning relationships
- Stewardship practices that focus on improving outcomes for learners and the community
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 10.8/1k · suspensions 15.3/1k · exclusions 15.8/1k · bottom 10% of band (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+16.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
68/100 from ERO review 2019-12 · bottom 10% of band (n=520) · 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): 68/100.
Latest ERO review
2019-12-23 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Southern Region
- School is effectively achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for most students, with disparity for boys and Māori students in reading and writing
- School is effective in accelerating learning for those students who need this, with most making accelerated progress in reading and writing
- Responsive, inclusive and caring learning environments with high quality teaching underpinned by strong student-teacher relationships
- Newly implemented values are embedded throughout the school and impacting positively on teaching and learning
- Leaders need to document curriculum practices and develop comprehensive curriculum document including bicultural perspectives across all learning areas
"School achievement information for 2017 and 2018 shows that most students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. There is, however, ongoing disparity for boys and for students identifying as Māori in reading and writing"
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2019. Click a point to read that review.
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
10.8
1 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
15.3
1 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
15.8
1 this year · 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
$1.14M
Per-student funding · 2022
$8,128
2018
$1.1M
2019
$1.0M
2020
$1.2M
2021
$0.8M
2022
$1.1M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 23
- Year 02 18
- Year 03 21
- Year 04 14
- Year 05 11
- Year 06 6
- Year 07 21
- Year 08 20
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 89.3%
- Māori 12.1%
- Other / MELAA 3.6%
- Asian 1.4%
Location
603 Upper Sefton Road, Sefton. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Te Waitai Sefton School.
Ashley Rakahuri School
Full Primary · 6.9km · 184 roll
80
+35 vs this
Leithfield School Te Kura o Kōwai
Full Primary · 7.7km · 134 roll
67
+22 vs this
Pegasus Bay School
Full Primary · 7.7km · 451 roll
55
+10 vs this
Rangiora High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 8.3km · 1,620 roll
65
+20 vs this
Woodend School
Full Primary · 8.7km · 573 roll
80
+35 vs this
St Joseph's School (Rangiora)
Full Primary · 9.2km · 182 roll
71
+26 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Te Waitai Sefton School a good school?
Te Waitai Sefton School scores 45/100 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 2019-12 review identified 6 key findings. School is effectively achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for most students, with disparity for boys and Māori students in reading and writing
How do I enrol my child at Te Waitai Sefton School?
Contact the school directly on 03-3129755, email office@sefton.school.nz, or visit www.sefton.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 Waitai Sefton School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Te Waitai Sefton School has 140 students, with an EQI of 434 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Te Waitai Sefton School in 2019-12, signed by Dr Lesley Patterson. 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
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz