Wā Ora Montessori
278 Waddington Drive, Naenae · Wellington
Composite score
Established
Below median
Rank #1,459 of scored NZ schools
In summary
ERO's 2022 review found the Montessori philosophy is embedded throughout the school and all children receive holistic support across academic, social, and emotional development. Staff build strong relationships with learners over time. However, school data shows a decline in writing achievement in primary and adolescent areas. No composite score was available.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Naenae looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Wā Ora Montessori a good school?
Wā Ora Montessori scores 63/100 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.
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 90% · L2 90% · UE 63% · bottom 10% of band (n=66) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 10% · Te Pūkenga 1% · Industry 0% · bottom 10% of band (n=64) · why? ▼ hide
95% to Y13 · above band median (n=66) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 26.3/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=536) · why? ▼ hide
-2.9% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=534) · why? ▼ hide
71/100 from ERO review 2018-05 · bottom quartile of band (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): 71/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-08-30 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
- Board of Trustees has attested to meeting Board Administration regulatory and legislative requirements
- Board of Trustees has attested to meeting Curriculum regulatory and legislative requirements
- Board of Trustees has attested to meeting Management of Health, Safety and Welfare regulatory and legislative requirements
- Board of Trustees has attested to meeting Personnel Management regulatory and legislative requirements
- Board of Trustees has attested to meeting Finance regulatory and legislative requirements
"As of July 2022, the Wā Ora Montessori School Board of Trustees has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements"
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: n/a
Total revenue
$3.88M
Surplus / (deficit)
$78k
Net assets / equity
$0.37M
2 years of audited data on file · View full history (Pro)
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
89.5%
17 of 19 leavers
-2.8pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
89.5%
17 of 19 leavers
-2.8pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
63.2%
12 of 19 leavers
-13.7pt 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.
94.7%
2024 cohort · 19 students
-5.3pt 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
26.3
7 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Construction and Infrastructure 2
- Manufacturing and Technology 1
- Creative Industries 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
$2.77M
Per-student funding · 2022
$10,244
2018
$2.2M
2019
$2.4M
2020
$2.6M
2021
$2.7M
2022
$2.8M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 34
- Year 02 27
- Year 03 25
- Year 04 26
- Year 05 19
- Year 06 5
- Year 07 25
- Year 08 20
- Year 09 17
- Year 10 20
- Year 11 21
- Year 12 13
- Year 13+ 13
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 73.7%
- Asian 26.3%
- Māori 11.1%
- Other / MELAA 6.3%
- Pacific 5.6%
Location
278 Waddington Drive, Naenae. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Wā Ora Montessori.
Rata Street School
Contributing · 0.5km · 319 roll
48
-15 vs this
St Bernadette's School (Naenae)
Full Primary · 0.8km · 116 roll
69
+6 vs this
Naenae School
Contributing · 1.4km · 365 roll
83
+20 vs this
Naenae Intermediate
Intermediate · 1.6km · 310 roll
54
-9 vs this
Kimi Ora School
Specialist School · 1.7km · 129 roll
90
+27 vs this
Avalon Intermediate
Intermediate · 1.7km · 219 roll
66
+3 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Wā Ora Montessori a good school?
Wā Ora Montessori scores 63/100 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 2022-08 review identified 6 key findings. Board of Trustees has attested to meeting Board Administration regulatory and legislative requirements
How do I enrol my child at Wā Ora Montessori?
Contact the school directly on 04-5672377, email office@waora.school.nz, or visit www.waora.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?
Wā Ora Montessori is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Wā Ora Montessori has 270 students, with an EQI of 396 (lower socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Wā Ora Montessori in 2022-08, signed by Dr Lesley Patterson. 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
- waora.school.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz