Waitara East School
Richmond Street, Waitara · Taranaki & Manawatū
Composite score
Concern
Below median
Rank #2,272 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Waitara East School has shown ongoing increases in achievement across reading, writing, and mathematics, with the majority of students achieving at or above expectation. Māori student achievement in reading and writing is significantly higher than Pākehā student achievement. The school demonstrates purposeful leadership and respect for Māori culture, with a focus on identifying individual learning needs and providing equitable support.
Best suited for
Students in Waitara looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Waitara East School a good school?
Waitara East School scores 38/100 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
- Respect and value for Māori culture, language and identity enacted in school programmes
- Purposeful leadership encouraging collaboration and collective responsibility for equity and excellence
- Identifying individual students' learning needs and providing support for equitable outcomes
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 103.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · below band median (n=539) · why? ▼ hide
-8.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · below band median (n=524) · why? ▼ hide
71/100 from ERO review 2018-04 · below band median (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): 71/100.
Latest ERO review
2018-04-16 · Alan Wynyard, Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
- Ongoing increase in achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics with majority of students achieving at and above expectation
- Māori student achievement in reading and writing significantly higher than Pākehā
- School developing effectiveness in responding to Māori and other children whose learning needs acceleration
- Te ao Māori is highly evident and central to school; strong value for Te Atiawatanga beliefs and practices
- Non-compliance identified in searches, surrender and retention of property, and physical restraint procedures (subsequently addressed by board)
"Te ao Māori is highly evident and central to the school 'Pumanawatanga'; beating heart, that determines how a school looks, feels, and sounds from the perspective of students, teachers and whānau."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2018. 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
103.0
9 this year · 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
$1.99M
Per-student funding · 2022
$9,175
2018
$2.3M
2019
$2.1M
2020
$3.5M
2021
$2.3M
2022
$2.0M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 30
- Year 02 37
- Year 03 36
- Year 04 34
- Year 05 36
- Year 06 38
- Year 07 4
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- Māori 78.3%
- European/Pākehā 29.0%
- Pacific 4.6%
- Asian 0.5%
- Other / MELAA 0.5%
Location
Richmond Street, Waitara. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Waitara East School.
Waitara High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0.3km · 418 roll
50
+12 vs this
Manukorihi Intermediate
Intermediate · 0.6km · 217 roll
47
+9 vs this
Waitara Central School
Contributing · 1.5km · 148 roll
45
+7 vs this
St Joseph's School (Waitara)
Full Primary · 1.8km · 90 roll
61
+23 vs this
Tikorangi School
Contributing · 5.4km · 175 roll
63
+25 vs this
Huirangi School
Contributing · 6.4km · 127 roll
82
+44 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Waitara East School a good school?
Waitara East School scores 38/100 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 2018-04 review identified 5 key findings. Ongoing increase in achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics with majority of students achieving at and above expectation
How do I enrol my child at Waitara East School?
Contact the school directly on 06-7548334, email office@waitaraeast.school.nz, or visit www.waitaraeast.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 East School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Waitara East School has 217 students, with an EQI of 532 (higher socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Waitara East School in 2018-04, signed by Alan Wynyard. 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