Waitara Central School
12 Cracroft Street, Waitara · Taranaki & Manawatū
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,076 of scored NZ schools
Active MoE intervention — limited statutory manager
A limited statutory manager has been appointed to Waitara Central School . NZ Gazette notice
In summary
Waitara Central School received an ERO review in October 2022. The school has curriculum expertise and clear strategic intent to develop effective teaching and learning while engaging whānau. A new principal was appointed in 2020, and the school is implementing a shared teacher inquiry approach to improve learner outcomes. The school is currently under active limited statutory manager intervention from the Ministry of Education.
Best suited for
Students in Waitara looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Waitara Central School a good school?
Waitara Central 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
- Curriculum expertise already exists in the school that can be shared with others
- Appropriate external supports are in place
- Clear strategic intent to develop effective teaching and learning and to engage whānau in teaching and learning
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 41.5/1k · exclusions 40.1/1k · bottom 10% of band (n=539) · why? ▼ hide
+39.2% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=524) · why? ▼ hide
51/100 from ERO review 2021-01 · bottom 10% of band (n=544) · 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): 51/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-10-27 · Phil Cowie, Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
- A new principal was appointed in Term 3, 2020
- School is implementing a shared teacher inquiry approach to improve learner outcomes
- Curriculum expertise already exists in the school that can be shared with others
- Appropriate external supports are in place to support improvement
- Clear strategic intent to develop effective teaching and learning and to engage whānau
"shared leadership that prioritises relationships for learning in a culturally responsive way"
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
41.5
1 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
40.1
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
$1.08M
Per-student funding · 2022
$7,286
2018
$0.7M
2019
$0.7M
2020
$1.0M
2021
$1.0M
2022
$1.1M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 23
- Year 02 21
- Year 03 27
- Year 04 12
- Year 05 24
- Year 06 25
- Year 07 3
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- Māori 73.0%
- European/Pākehā 57.4%
- Asian 3.4%
- Pacific 1.4%
- Other / MELAA 1.4%
Location
12 Cracroft Street, Waitara. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Waitara Central School.
St Joseph's School (Waitara)
Full Primary · 0.4km · 90 roll
61
+16 vs this
Manukorihi Intermediate
Intermediate · 1km · 217 roll
47
+2 vs this
Waitara High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 1.3km · 418 roll
50
+5 vs this
Waitara East School
Contributing · 1.5km · 217 roll
38
-7 vs this
Tikorangi School
Contributing · 5.2km · 175 roll
63
+18 vs this
Huirangi School
Contributing · 5.5km · 127 roll
82
+37 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Waitara Central School a good school?
Waitara Central 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 2022-10 review identified 5 key findings. A new principal was appointed in Term 3, 2020
How do I enrol my child at Waitara Central School?
Contact the school directly on 06-7547716, email office@waitaracentral.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?
Waitara Central School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Waitara Central School has 148 students, with an EQI of 535 (higher socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Waitara Central School in 2022-10, signed by Phil Cowie. 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
- gazette.govt.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz