Birchwood School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 234
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 15 Durham Street, Stoke, Nelson
- Territorial authority
- Nelson City
- Phone
- 03-5473028
- admin@birchwood.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Nelson
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.
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.
- Uniform
- Required
Our uniform consists of a Birchwood top and Birchwood sweatshirt, that may be worn with any black bottoms including shorts, pants, skirt or skort.
- Required
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 182
- Māori
- 64
- Pacific
- 18
- Asian
- 26
- MELAA
- 3
- Other
- 1
- 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 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 0 | 49 |
| Year 02 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 26 |
| Year 03 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 31 |
| Year 04 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 52 |
| Year 05 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 38 |
| Year 06 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 40 |
| Year 07 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 59 | 16 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 193 | 0 | 242 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 46 |
| Age 06 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 07 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 33 |
| Age 08 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 51 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 39 |
| Age 10 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 39 |
| Age 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Total | 59 | 16 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 193 | 0 | 242 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
33.5%
| Birchwood School | 33.5% |
|---|---|
| Nelson Region | 49.5% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 66.7% |
| Māori | 134.7% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 26.5% |
| Total | 33.5% |
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%
| Birchwood School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Nelson Region | 4.9% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| 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%
| Birchwood School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Nelson Region | 2.4% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| 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)
- 456
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1976
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
- 3
- Last reviewed
- 8 October 2025
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (20 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 20 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 8 October 2025 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 6
provides education for students in Years 1 to 6
- Years 1 to 6
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 8 October 2025 — “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
Birchwood School is located in Nelson and provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school roll is currently 250 with a majority of learners identifying as Pākehā / New Zealand European (55%), 26% Māori , 11% of Asian descent, 2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA), 7% of Pacific heritage and smaller numbers identifying with other diverse cultures. The school’s vision is " Ngātahi te ako, Ngātahi te tipu – Together we learn, Together we grow".
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 have worked to evaluate communication for learning, to understand and ensure parity for all learners. The school expected to see a strengthening of teacher and student learning centred relationships that would impact positively on student engagement and parity for all learners.
Findings
Outcomes for learners in reading and writing have improved. Māori and Pacific learners achieve higher than their peers in writing. Writing and mathematics achievement show no disparities for learners, but reading remains a priority for some groups. The school identified effective communication systems and processes and implemented improvement priorities. This has enabled clear, consistent, timely, transparent and accessible communication with families. A sustained focus on authentic partnerships with whānau Māori and iwi enact the aspirations of mana whenua . Student voice is regularly collected, analysed and used to inform improvement priorities and next steps in teaching and learning.
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? Success and progress for all learners is increasing.
What is the quality of teaching and learning? Learners benefit from excellent 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 rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a 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? School planning and conditions to support high quality education for learners are driving excellent school performance.
How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? The school reasonably promotes 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 responds well to a wide range 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 0 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 equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are 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 large majority of learners attend school regularly.
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 is developing 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 to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
The school is making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030.
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
Student voice is actively gathered through a variety of methods and used to identify areas for improvement, leading to high engagement and a strong sense of belonging.
Partnerships with Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō support the development of a rich curriculum where students’ language, culture and identity are valued, visible and woven throughout the curriculum.
Teachers know their students well and use relational practices to design differentiated learning programmes with a consistent focus on improving outcomes for all learners
An effective leadership team drives strategic improvement with a clear focus on equity for priority learners.
Evaluation practices are embedded and used effectively to identify and address areas for improvement.
Strong relationships and clear communication between students, teachers, leaders, whānau and iwi support active participation and engagement in school life.
Key priorities
Strengthen structured teaching in literacy and mathematics to improve outcomes and increase equity for all learners, especially for Māori students in reading.
Evaluate and expand strategies to improve regular student attendance.
Actions to bring about improvement
Every six months:
leaders and teachers evaluate the impact of structured literacy and mathematics teaching to identify effective practices and inform further professional learning opportunities
leaders and teachers review strategies and monitor progress to improve regular attendance
leaders report to the school Board on student progress in reading, writing and mathematics, showing the impact of actions and responses to emerging trends
Annually:
the school Board, in consultation with the community, uses student attendance, progress and achievement information to set strategic priorities and guide resourcing decisions
leaders, teachers and the school Board evaluate teaching approaches to understand their impact on student engagement and outcomes and use this insight to set future improvement priorities.
Expected outcomes
Improved achievement in mathematics and literacy, with reduced disparity in reading for Māori students.
increased rates of regular attendance across all year levels.
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
8 October 2025
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 3 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).