The Catlins Area School
1 Stuart Street, Owaka · Otago & Southland
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,156 of scored NZ schools
Active MoE intervention — limited statutory manager
A limited statutory manager has been appointed to The Catlins Area School . NZ Gazette notice
In summary
The Catlins Area School's 2022 ERO review identified that literacy achievement is not equitable across the school and does not meet expectations. The school has implemented a targeted literacy programme and teachers are undertaking professional learning in reading instruction. Strengths include established progress-tracking systems, support for students with diverse learning needs, and strengthened whānau relationships. The school is currently operating under a limited statutory manager appointment.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Owaka looking for a state-funded setting.
Is The Catlins Area School a good school?
The Catlins Area School is currently under MoE intervention — a limited statutory manager has been appointed. The school's day-to-day teaching continues; the intervention addresses governance or operational concerns identified by the Ministry. Read the NZ Gazette notice for details.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Systems and processes that have been established to carefully track, monitor and report student progress and achievement against the New Zealand curriculum
- The targeted support the school has sought, accessed and implemented for students with diverse learning needs
- The relationships the school is strengthening with learners' whānau
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 78% · L2 67% · UE 44% · bottom quartile of band (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 0% · Te Pūkenga 1% · Industry 0% · bottom 10% of band (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
56% to Y13 · bottom 10% of band (n=86) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 23.2/1k · suspensions 38.3/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=404) · why? ▼ hide
+19.6% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=403) · why? ▼ hide
82/100 from ERO review 2019-10 · 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): 82/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-12-07 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
- School leaders have recognised that achievement in literacy is not equitable for all students and is not meeting the school's expectations
- Teachers are participating in targeted professional learning to better understand the science of reading to individualise teaching strategies
- A specific literacy programme has been implemented in 2022 to accelerate learning for students in Years 1 to 10
- The school has established systems and processes to carefully track, monitor and report student progress and achievement against the New Zealand curriculum
"school leaders have recognised that achievement in literacy is not equitable for all students and is not meeting the school's expectations"
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2016–2019. Click a point to read that review.
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
77.8%
7 of 9 leavers
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
66.7%
6 of 9 leavers
University Entrance · 2024
44.4%
4 of 9 leavers
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.
55.6%
2024 cohort · 9 students
-6.9pt vs 2022
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
23.2
3 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
38.3
5 this year · 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
$1.89M
Per-student funding · 2022
$13,469
2018
$1.4M
2019
$2.0M
2020
$3.4M
2021
$1.9M
2022
$1.9M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 13
- Year 02 12
- Year 03 12
- Year 04 10
- Year 05 7
- Year 06 10
- Year 07 14
- Year 08 11
- Year 09 11
- Year 10 9
- Year 11 13
- Year 12 8
- Year 13+ 4
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 82.1%
- Māori 22.1%
- Pacific 7.1%
- Asian 3.6%
- Other / MELAA 1.4%
Location
1 Stuart Street, Owaka. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with The Catlins Area School.
Frequently asked
Is The Catlins Area School a good school?
The Catlins Area School is currently under MoE intervention — a limited statutory manager has been appointed. The school's day-to-day teaching continues; the intervention addresses governance or operational concerns identified by the Ministry. Read the NZ Gazette notice for details.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2022-12 review identified 4 key findings. School leaders have recognised that achievement in literacy is not equitable for all students and is not meeting the school's expectations
How do I enrol my child at The Catlins Area School?
Contact the school directly on 03-4158036, email learn@catlins.school.nz, or visit www.catlins.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?
The Catlins Area School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
The Catlins Area School has 140 students, with an EQI of 470 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed The Catlins Area School in 2022-12, 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
- gazette.govt.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz