Castlecliff School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 153
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Polson Street, Castlecliff, Whanganui
- Territorial authority
- Whanganui District
- Phone
- 06-3444537
- office@castlecliff.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Manawatū-Whanganui
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
At Castlecliff School, we wear our uniform with pride.
- Required
- Term dates
- Term 1, 2026: Thursday 29 January - Thursday 2 April
Thursday 29 January - Thursday 2 April
Year stated asBelow are our start and finish dates for 2026
- Term 2, 2026: Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
Year stated asBelow are our start and finish dates for 2026
- Term 3, 2026: Monday 20 July - Friday 25 September
Monday 20 July - Friday 25 September
Year stated asBelow are our start and finish dates for 2026
- Term 4, 2026: Monday 12 October - Friday 11 December
Monday 12 October - Friday 11 December
Year stated asBelow are our start and finish dates for 2026
- Term 1, 2026: Thursday 29 January - Thursday 2 April
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
- "Deeds Not Words – Ngā mahi, kaua ko ngā kōrero."
- At Castlecliff School, we believe actions speak louder than words. Our mission, “Deeds Not Words,” guides the way we learn, lead, and live every day.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 59
- Māori
- 103
- Pacific
- 25
- Asian
- 2
- MELAA
- 0
- Other
- 0
- 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 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 02 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Year 03 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 28 |
| Year 04 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| Year 05 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 37 |
| Year 06 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 32 |
| Year 07 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 115 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 166 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21 |
| Age 06 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 07 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 08 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 09 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 34 |
| Age 10 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 35 |
| Age 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Total | 115 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 166 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
121.9%
| Castlecliff School | 121.9% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 45.5% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 216.2% |
| Māori | 174.8% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 166.9% |
| Total | 121.9% |
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%
| Castlecliff School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 6.2% |
| 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%
| Castlecliff School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 2.8% |
| 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)
- 535
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 31 March 1892
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
- 31 July 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (31 July 2023)
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 31 July 2023 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.
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 153 — 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.
April 2018
172
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 18 June 2018
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 31 July 2023 — “Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
Background
This Profile Report was written within twelve months of the Education Review Office and Castlecliff School working in Te Ara Huarau , an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
Castlecliff School is located in Whanganui and provides education for children in Years 1 to 6. The school seeks to provide teaching and learning experiences that are relevant, purposeful and challenging. Specifically, Te reo Māori is highly valued and nurtured within the school with every child having the opportunity to experience and be proud to speak reo Māori .
Castlecliff School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
maintain and further enhance a culture of positive relationships and physical and emotional safety
deliver powerful learning programmes that meet individual needs and community priorities
provide effective communication
effectively deliver school-wide planning, implementation and to review strategic goals
ensure school property and the environment are safe, well maintained and supportive of the school vision, purposes and values
respect the environment and work towards a sustainable school community for current and future generations.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Castlecliff School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which assessment and planning effectively identify and respond to the needs of all learners.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
strengthen staff capability to engage in teaching and learning practices that support learners to progress and achieve at expected levels and to accelerate learner progress where needed
ensure assessment data is effectively used to inform teaching and learning programmes.
The school expects to see:
consistent assessment and moderation practices, and robust tracking and monitoring of learner progress
teacher planning that reflects the specific needs of each learner
all staff knowing and understanding the impact of their practice and programmes on learner outcomes
improved rates of progress and higher levels of achievement.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to meet the learning needs of all learners:
Leadership prioritises culturally responsive teaching expectations that are clear, shared and implemented across the school.
The social and emotional needs of learners are nurtured and supported through a range of approaches, systems and processes and modelled by leadership.
Staff and leaders demonstrate commitment to a range of professional learning to build capability and capacity across the school.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners through:
staff professional learning about effective assessment practices
deepening understanding of the Learning Progression Framework and how to utilise this resource to improve outcomes for all learners
the development of a school-wide approach to the teaching and learning of te reo Māori , beginning with a self-review of current programmes across the school.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
31 July 2023
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
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).