Western Heights High School
70 Old Quarry Road, Rotorua Central · Bay of Plenty
See all schools in Rotorua Central →
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,738 of scored NZ schools
In summary
An ERO review in September 2023 identified strengths including systems for data-informed decision making, clear strategic direction from Board and senior leadership, and well-established partnerships supporting diverse learning opportunities. The school has no active Ministry of Education intervention.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Rotorua Central looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Western Heights High School a good school?
Western Heights High School scores 56/100 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
- Systems and processes to gather multiple forms of data to inform decision making are in place
- Clear strategic direction of the school from Board and senior leadership
- Well established partnerships and networks that support a wide range of learning opportunities
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 83% · L2 69% · UE 48% · near band median (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 15% · Te Pūkenga 8% · Industry 8% · above band median (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
71% to Y13 · below band median (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 41.7/1k · suspensions 4.7/1k · exclusions 1.1/1k · near band median (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
-2.7% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
84/100 from ERO review 2023-09 · top quartile of band (n=471) · 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): 84/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-09-07 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Systems and processes to gather multiple forms of data to inform decision making are in place
- Clear strategic direction of the school from Board and senior leadership
- Well established partnerships and networks that support a wide range of learning opportunities
- Inclusive learning climate that supports wellbeing of all students
- Teaching staff with specialist subject knowledge
"Clear strategic direction of the school from Board and senior leadership"
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2020–2023. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: n/a
Total revenue
$18.79M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$650k
Net assets / equity
$5.35M
3 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
82.7%
220 of 266 leavers
+7.8pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
68.8%
183 of 266 leavers
+5.6pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
48.1%
128 of 266 leavers
+9.1pt 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.
71.1%
2024 cohort · 266 students
+10.1pt 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
41.7
79 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
4.7
11 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
1.1
2 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 24
- Creative Industries 9
- Construction and Infrastructure 2
- Manufacturing and Technology 1
- Social and Community Services 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
$11.69M
Per-student funding · 2022
$10,436
2018
$10.4M
2019
$10.0M
2020
$11.8M
2021
$11.1M
2022
$11.7M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 275
- Year 10 277
- Year 11 242
- Year 12 209
- Year 13+ 173
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 59.6%
- Māori 53.0%
- Asian 11.6%
- Pacific 7.8%
- Other / MELAA 1.3%
- International 1.0%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
ESOL support
partial
Location
70 Old Quarry Road, Rotorua Central. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Western Heights High School.
Rotorua Specialist School - Te Kura Pūkenga o Rotorua
Specialist School · 0.4km · 103 roll
87
+31 vs this
Selwyn School
Contributing · 0.5km · 348 roll
70
+14 vs this
Kaitao Intermediate
Intermediate · 0.7km · 270 roll
26
-30 vs this
TKKM o Te Koutu
Composite · 1.2km · 369 roll
69
+13 vs this
St Michael's Catholic School (Rotorua)
Contributing · 1.3km · 102 roll
63
+7 vs this
Western Heights Primary School (Rotorua)
Contributing · 1.4km · 439 roll
45
-11 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Western Heights High School a good school?
Western Heights High School scores 56/100 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 2023-09 review identified 5 key findings. Systems and processes to gather multiple forms of data to inform decision making are in place
How do I enrol my child at Western Heights High School?
Contact the school directly on 07-3495940, email admin@whhs.school.nz, or visit www.whhs.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?
Western Heights High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Western Heights High School has 1,120 students, with an EQI of 499 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Western Heights High School in 2023-09, 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
- whhs.school.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz