Cobden School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 107
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Fox Street, Cobden, Greymouth
- Territorial authority
- Grey District
- Phone
- 03-7687465
- reception@cobden.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.cobden.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in West Coast
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
- Our values of Manaakitanga (We Care), Mahi Ngātahi (We Cooperate), and Kōrero Mai (We Communicate) guide the way we learn, work, and treat one another every day. They help create a school where every child feels safe, respected, included, and encouraged to achieve their personal best.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 91
- Māori
- 32
- Pacific
- 1
- Asian
- 2
- MELAA
- 0
- 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 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| Year 02 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 03 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 9 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| Year 05 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 06 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 07 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 08 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Total | 39 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 100 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 06 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 17 |
| Age 07 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 08 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 14 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| Age 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| Age 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 39 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 100 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
241.9%
| Cobden School | 241.9% |
|---|---|
| West Coast Region | 76.2% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 292.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 189.5% |
| Māori | 220.1% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 204% |
| Total | 241.9% |
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
57.1%
| Cobden School | 57.1% |
|---|---|
| West Coast Region | 4.5% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 54.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 59.3% |
| Māori | 175.1% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 36.1% |
| Total | 57.1% |
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
56.7%
| Cobden School | 56.7% |
|---|---|
| West Coast Region | 2% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 54.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 58.6% |
| Māori | 172% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 35.7% |
| Total | 56.7% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 523
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1868
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
- 20 April 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (20 April 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 20 April 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 107 — 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 2018
120
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 27 July 2018
March 2014
153
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 29 May 2015
We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 20 April 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 six months of the Education Review Office and Cobden 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
Cobden School is a full primary school, located on the West Coast of the South Island north of the Grey River. It provides learning for students in years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is to be a community of learners where wellbeing and relationships encourage ākonga to be confident, engaged, and caring, critical thinkers. The school’s values are referred to as the three “C’s”: manaakitanga – we care; mahi ngātahi – we cooperate; kōrero mai – we communicate. The school is led by an experienced principal.
Cobden School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
build a strong partnership with iwi and strengthen cultural capabilities
strengthen links between home and school to increase engagement
provide a safe physical and emotional learning environment.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Cobden School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of their refreshed curriculum, which is working to align community aspirations and local stories, on student engagement and achievement.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that community, staff, and student consultation identified the need to strengthen the partnership with iwi and strengthen cultural capabilities.
The school expects to see:
strengthened cultural capabilities of students and staff, aligned with a Māori world view, through a localised curriculum
increased engagement and achievement for all learners
accelerated progress leading to equitable outcomes for Māori learners.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the impact of their refreshed curriculum:
the school analyses, uses, and shares with its community, a range of qualitative and quantitative wellbeing and achievement data which informs decision-making and next steps
a culture of working collaboratively to review and seek to improve practice
commitment to targeted professional learning which is informing curriculum revision
established links with local iwi who are supporting professional learning that is deepening the understanding of localised curriculum
reciprocal connections with the community for consultation that is informing school improvement.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
schoolwide professional learning, supported by local iwi, Ngāti Waewae, to identify and grow cultural capabilities and inform the curriculum refresh
gathering and analysing a range of valid data to determine how well ākonga are present, participating, and making progress to inform next steps, monitor and report on the sufficiency of progress.
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.
Kathy Lye Acting Director Review and Improvement (Southern) Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
20 April 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).