Apanui School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 419
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 92 Mcalister Street, Whakatane
- Territorial authority
- Whakatane District
- Phone
- 07-3087687
- debbye@apanui.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.apanui.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Bay of Plenty
Can my child go here?
This school has an enrolment scheme, so a place is not open to every address. How enrolment zones work
Loading zone map…
Zone boundaries shown here are approximate. Ministry of Education data warns these boundaries do not have high spatial precision and can place neighbouring addresses on different sides of a line. This is not a confirmation of enrolment eligibility — always confirm directly with the school. Zone geometry also does not reflect enrolment priority rules (siblings, special character categories, ballots) — it shows the mapped boundary only.
Check if your address is in zone →
Source: Ministry of Education, CC BY 3.0 NZ
What would the day look like?
The practical things this school states on its own website — the hours, the uniform, the term dates, and how children get there. These are the school’s own words, not the Ministry’s record and not ERO’s.
What does the school say about itself?
Quoted, not summarised. Every school describes itself well, so this is here to be read as the school’s own case rather than as a finding — and a school that states nothing simply has no row.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- In their words
- "Ake runga - Our best always"
- Ake Runga means giving our best as we climb the vine of knowledge together at Apanui School. We grow ākonga who are confident and connected, who know who they are, and who engage deeply in learning – grounded in their cultural identity and ready to contribute to the world.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 250
- Māori
- 152
- Pacific
- 10
- Asian
- 59
- MELAA
- 15
- Other
- 3
- International
- 0
Roll by year level and age
Shown as context, not ranked, not compared to any average. As at 30 June 2026, from the same annual return as the roll count above.
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 01 | 24 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 70 |
| Year 02 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 67 |
| Year 03 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 56 |
| Year 04 | 18 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 77 |
| Year 05 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 69 |
| Year 06 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 64 |
| Year 07 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 15 |
| Total | 128 | 1 | 49 | 11 | 0 | 229 | 0 | 418 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 20 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 64 |
| Age 06 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 69 |
| Age 07 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 58 |
| Age 08 | 18 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 73 |
| Age 09 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 70 |
| Age 10 | 22 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 67 |
| Age 11 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 128 | 1 | 49 | 11 | 0 | 229 | 0 | 418 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
17.6%
| Apanui School | 17.6% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 37.4% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 11.8% |
|---|---|
| Male | 23.3% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 34.1% |
| Total | 17.6% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison stand-down rates data (2024)
Age-standardised suspension rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Apanui School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 3.8% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison suspension rates data (2024)
Age-standardised exclusion rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Apanui School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 1.4% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 447
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Medium urban area
- Date opened
- 6 September 1953
The Equity Index is used by the Ministry to allocate equity funding. It describes the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, not how good the school is. How the Equity Index works
What did ERO find?
The Education Review Office reviews every school and publishes what it finds in full. We quote ERO’s report here, section by section, in ERO’s own words and order, and link to it. We do not summarise a report, pick a line out of one, or turn one into a score. How ERO reviews schools
- Reports ERO holds
- 4
- Last reviewed
- 10 June 2026
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (29 July 2022)
A board assurance statement is the board’s own account of whether it took all reasonable steps to meet its legal obligations, on the date shown. It is not ERO’s finding. ERO reports separately, in the same report, on any non-compliance it identified during that process.
The board assurance report of 29 July 2022 carries no actions-for-compliance section — the section ERO uses when it names non-compliance it identified. That is what this report contains; it is not ERO saying it found none. Other reports ERO holds for this school may say something different.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 10 June 2026 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 6
provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6
- Years 1 to 6
The roll ERO recorded, and when
ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 419 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.
June 2016
396
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 16 November 2016
This is one count taken for one report. It says what the roll was on that day, and nothing about how the roll has moved.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 10 June 2026 — “School Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School Report
Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.
We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.
Every New Zealand state and state integrated school has an ERO review at least once every four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.
About the School
Apanui School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6 and has a roll of 418 learners. The school roll includes 31% of students who identify as Māori a nd 12% Asian. The school vision is Ake Runga I Our Best Always which underpins the school focus to promote the development of the whole child, supporting learners to build confidence, connection and engagement, grounded in their cultural identity .
The school has faced several significant challenges in recent years, including a full rebuild following a fire and changes in leadership. A new principal was appointed in late 2024.
Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement, school enrolments and school zones. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
An explanation of the terms and judgements used in this report can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
Improvement and progress
This section is about the progress the school has made since the July 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.
Expected improvements
The school focused on whole staff professional learning including coaching to support school-wide consistency and high expectations for teaching and learning for all students, particularly in literacy.
The school expected to see students develop knowledge and skills in structured literacy to enable them to achieve at the appropriate curriculum levels. It also expected to see inclusive and supportive school environment promoting success for all students and staff.
Findings
The school continues to promote an inclusive and responsive environment that supports Māori education. Ongoing professional learning in structured literacy and mathematics is strengthening the use of data to monitor Māori learners’ progress and inform next steps .
What we know about learner success
This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.
How well are learners succeeding? The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.
What is the quality of teaching and learning? Learners benefit from good quality teaching practice that improves progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs? Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational skills in literacy and mathematics. Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.
How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement? The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.
How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? The school is taking steps to improve learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners? The school is improving its reporting to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress. The school is improving its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.
Student Health and Safety The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.
Achievement in Years 1 to 6
This section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.
Less than a third Less than half Small majority Large majority Most Almost all
0 to 33% 34 to 49% 50 to 64% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%
Reading A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
Assessment
This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.
The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Teachers are developing their use of assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
Progress
This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.
The school has good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
The school has to some extent improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
The school has improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous report.
Next steps for improvement
This section provides more detail for the school to include in its strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. It outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.
Areas of strength
Strategic leadership is developing expectations for teaching and learning across the school to improve outcomes for students.
Teachers know learners well and use targeted structured teaching practices in reading, writing and mathematics within orderly, inclusive learning environments where learners are well supported to engage and apply new learning.
Professional development is aligned and targeted to strengthen practice for improved student outcomes.
Teachers know their students well.
The school affirms, values and caters for students with additional needs; students' sense of wellbeing and belonging is supported by a range of successful initiatives.
Partnerships with the community and whānau are strong and contribute to the school environment of a safe and inclusive place to learn.
Key priorities
Embed evidence-based teaching and learning strategies using knowledge of students’ strengths and needs to improve outcomes and accelerate progress for all learners.
Strengthen collective curriculum understanding so expectations are consistently enacted in practice.
Further embed distributed leadership capability to support sustainable improvement.
Sustain positive attendance levels while continuing to improve.
Actions to bring about improvement
Within three months:
leaders and teachers identify priority learners in literacy and confirm targeted teaching strategies to accelerate progress
leaders and teachers embed structured literacy and mathematics approaches across the school
leaders establish a shared understanding of curriculum expectations across staff
Every six months:
teachers, through ongoing professional growth cycle inquiry, implement, monitor, and refine structured literacy and mathematics practices across the school, ensuring consistency of teaching and a sustained focus on priority learners
leaders and teachers align assessment and moderation practices to new curriculum requirements
school leaders and teachers assess the extent to which professional learning and development leads to improved teaching practice and measurable gains in student achievement
the School Board and leaders review the attendance plan to identify effective initiatives and plan actions for ongoing improvement
Annually:
leaders ensure assessment and evaluation practices are used consistently to identify next steps and accelerate progress and achievement for priority learners
leaders and teachers systematically evaluate the effectiveness of targeted teaching approaches to determine what is making the most difference for learners and to inform ongoing refinement of practice
board and leaders review and evaluate attendance initiatives that have contributed to improved regular attendance, using this evidence to inform next steps.
Expected outcomes
Assessment, moderation and evaluation practices are coherent and reliable, enabling leaders and teachers to clearly identify next learning steps and accelerate progress and achievement for priority learners.
Achievement outcomes show greater equity across the school for all students.
A strong culture of distributed leadership is established, supporting ongoing improvement and improved outcomes for learners.
Regular attendance continues to improve, supported by evidence‑informed initiatives that are reviewed by the board and leaders to sustain and strengthen gains over time.
Regulatory and legislative requirements
This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.
Board assurance with regulatory and legislative requirements
This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.
During this review the Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:
Board administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of health, safety and welfare
Yes
Personnel management
Yes.
The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within four years.
Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children
Sharon Kelly Director of Schools
10 June 2026
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 4 reports ERO holds for this school
ERO reviews a school every few years — around four years between reviews is the usual cycle — so an older date here reflects where a school sits in that cycle, not how it is doing.
Source: Education Review Office, CC BY 4.0.
Roll date: 30 June 2026 (2026).