Whakatane High School
56 Goulstone Road, Whakatane · Bay of Plenty
See all schools in Whakatane →
Composite score
Established
Below median
Rank #1,316 of scored NZ schools
In summary
An ERO review in July 2022 found positive relationships between teachers and students supporting wellbeing, and identified that middle and senior leaders understand responsive teaching strategies promoting equity. The school has recognised the need for further work to ensure parity and excellence for Māori learners. No composite score is available.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Whakatane looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Whakatane High School a good school?
Whakatane High School scores 66/100 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
- Positive relationships between teachers and students that support student wellbeing
- Understanding amongst middle and senior leaders of the responsive teaching strategies and practices that promote equity
- Leadership with the capacity to model evaluation, inquiry and knowledge-building systems to improve learner 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.
L1 94% · L2 83% · UE 58% · top quartile of band (n=109) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 22% · Te Pūkenga 5% · Industry 9% · above band median (n=102) · why? ▼ hide
79% to Y13 · near band median (n=115) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 46.5/1k · suspensions 0.4/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
+21.7% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top quartile of band (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2022-07 · top 10% 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): 85/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-07-19 · Phil Cowie, Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
- The school has identified that more needs to be done to ensure parity and excellence for Māori learners
- Positive relationships between teachers and students support student wellbeing
- Middle and senior leaders understand responsive teaching strategies that promote equity
- Leadership has capacity to model evaluation, inquiry and knowledge-building systems to improve learner outcomes
"The school has identified that more needs to be done to ensure parity and excellence for Māori learners."
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$19.45M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$691k
Net assets / equity
$4.15M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
94.3%
246 of 261 leavers
+3.2pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
83.1%
217 of 261 leavers
+0.9pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
58.2%
152 of 261 leavers
+2.3pt 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.
78.5%
2024 cohort · 261 students
-1.7pt 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
46.5
92 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.4
1 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 27
- Creative Industries 19
- Manufacturing and Technology 9
- Construction and Infrastructure 6
- 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
$10.33M
Per-student funding · 2022
$8,666
2018
$7.2M
2019
$7.8M
2020
$10.0M
2021
$10.1M
2022
$10.3M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 275
- Year 10 314
- Year 11 273
- Year 12 209
- Year 13+ 170
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 62.0%
- Māori 51.2%
- Asian 6.4%
- Pacific 3.3%
- Other / MELAA 2.3%
- International 2.3%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
56 Goulstone Road, Whakatane. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Whakatane High School.
St Joseph's Catholic School (Whakatane)
Full Primary · 0.4km · 273 roll
82
+16 vs this
Apanui School
Contributing · 0.7km · 439 roll
65
-1 vs this
Allandale School
Contributing · 0.7km · 358 roll
25
-41 vs this
Whakatane S D A School
Full Primary · 0.9km · 47 roll
64
-2 vs this
James Street School
Contributing · 1.3km · 256 roll
48
-18 vs this
Whakatane Intermediate
Intermediate · 1.4km · 584 roll
39
-27 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Whakatane High School a good school?
Whakatane High School scores 66/100 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 2022-07 review identified 4 key findings. The school has identified that more needs to be done to ensure parity and excellence for Māori learners
How do I enrol my child at Whakatane High School?
Contact the school directly on 07-3088251, email admin@whakatanehigh.school.nz, or visit www.whakatanehigh.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?
Whakatane High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Whakatane High School has 1,192 students, with an EQI of 475 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Whakatane High School in 2022-07, 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
- web.archive.org
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- whakatanehigh.school.nz
- crimestats.co.nz