Thornton School
43 Eastbank Road, Thornton · Bay of Plenty
Composite score
Established
Above median
Rank #1,063 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Thornton School's most recent ERO review found most learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has implemented structured literacy approaches that have improved outcomes in reading and writing, with strengthened writing progressions. However, disparities in writing and mathematics achievement for boys and Māori learners remain a priority area despite overall improvements.
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Thornton looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Thornton School a good school?
Thornton School scores 71/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above 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
- Board has demonstrated attestation to compliance across all core administrative and operational areas
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 0.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · top 10% of band (n=404) · why? ▼ hide
-6.8% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · below band median (n=403) · why? ▼ hide
63/100 from ERO review 2024-12 · bottom quartile of band (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): 63/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-12-03 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Board has attested to compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements across all major areas: Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel, Finance, and Assets
- Non-compliance identified with Board of Trustees policies and legislative procedures when dealing with complaints and public excluded meetings
- Board has taken steps to address the identified non-compliance
"As of June 2024, the Thornton School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements"
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2022–2024. Click a point to read that review.
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Thornton School's wellbeing focus shifted from celebrating existing positive school culture and learner enjoyment (2022) to more systematic evaluation and monitoring of wellbeing outcomes (2024). The 2024 report indicates leaders are now actively 'gathering student feedback and ideas to better understand schoolwide learner wellbeing data,' suggesting a move toward data-informed wellbeing practices rather than relying on informal strengths.
2022-08 → 2024-12 diff source
Between 2022 and 2024, Thornton School progressed from planning equity improvements to implementing structured literacy approaches that have yielded positive outcomes for most learners. However, a persistent equity concern emerged: "Disparity in writing and mathematics for boys and Māori learners remains a priority despite overall improvements," indicating that while overall achievement improved, targeted equity gaps have not yet been closed.
2022-08 → 2024-12 diff source
Leadership evolved from being described as 'collaborative' with clear commitment to improvement (2022) to increasingly fostering 'a culture committed to quality teaching and improving learner outcomes' (2024). The 2024 report shows more concrete evidence of leaders actively building relationships with external providers and driving pedagogical change through structured literacy implementation, representing a progression from planning to active culture-building.
2022-08 → 2024-12 diff source
Teaching has progressed from a planning and evaluation phase to implementation and measurable outcomes. In 2022, the school was working to 'embed effective schoolwide assessment and internal evaluation practices' with a focus on improving writing outcomes. By 2024, 'Structured literacy approaches across the school are leading to positive outcomes for most learners in reading and writing' and 'Writing progressions have been established and strengthened teachers' consistency in assessment.'
2022-08 → 2024-12 diff source
Audited financials
Year ended 2021 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$1.12M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$54k
Net assets / equity
$0.39M
2 years of audited data on file · View full history (Pro)
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
0.0
· 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
$1.30M
Per-student funding · 2022
$9,099
2018
$0.8M
2019
$0.9M
2020
$1.6M
2021
$1.8M
2022
$1.3M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 19
- Year 02 12
- Year 03 17
- Year 04 17
- Year 05 18
- Year 06 17
- Year 07 12
- Year 08 12
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 72.7%
- Māori 28.7%
- Asian 11.9%
- Pacific 2.8%
- Other / MELAA 1.4%
Location
43 Eastbank Road, Thornton. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Thornton School.
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-1 vs this
Awakeri School
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Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Orini ki Ngati Awa
Composite · 9.6km · 94 roll
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Frequently asked
Is Thornton School a good school?
Thornton School scores 71/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above 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 2024-12 review identified 3 key findings. Board has attested to compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements across all major areas: Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel, Finance, and Assets
How do I enrol my child at Thornton School?
Contact the school directly on 07-3049308, email admin@thornton.school.nz, or visit www.thornton.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?
Thornton School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Thornton School has 143 students, with an EQI of 451 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Thornton School in 2024-12, signed by Shelley Booysen. 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
- thornton.school.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz