Cromwell College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · State
- Year levels
- 7–13
- Total roll
- 696
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Barry Avenue, Cromwell
- Territorial authority
- Central Otago District
- Phone
- 03-4451121
- admin@cromwell.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Otago
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 557
- Māori
- 120
- Pacific
- 29
- Asian
- 96
- MELAA
- 18
- Other
- 16
- International
- 6
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 07 | 20 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 96 | 0 | 117 |
| Year 08 | 24 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 97 | 0 | 119 |
| Year 09 | 18 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 88 | 0 | 107 |
| Year 10 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 81 | 1 | 94 |
| Year 11 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 88 | 1 | 101 |
| Year 12 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 63 | 0 | 77 |
| Year 13+ | 9 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 53 | 1 | 76 |
| Total | 124 | 26 | 88 | 10 | 14 | 566 | 3 | 691 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 11 | 18 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 80 | 0 | 96 |
| Age 12 | 20 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 102 |
| Age 13 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 93 | 0 | 110 |
| Age 14 | 25 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 88 | 1 | 106 |
| Age 15 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 90 | 1 | 104 |
| Age 16 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 64 | 0 | 74 |
| Age 17 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 71 |
| Age 18 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 19+ | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 124 | 26 | 88 | 10 | 14 | 566 | 3 | 691 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
89.1%
| Cromwell College | 89.1% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 90.7% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 89.6% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 97.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 83.6% |
| Māori | 75% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 88.2% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 89.5% |
| Total | 89.1% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 1 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or above — 2025
82.2%
| Cromwell College | 82.2% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 84.8% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.3% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 95% |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.8% |
| Māori | 68.8% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 88.2% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 80.3% |
| Total | 82.2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 2 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 3 or above — 2025
59.4%
| Cromwell College | 59.4% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 65.5% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 64.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 80% |
|---|---|
| Male | 45.9% |
| Māori | 50% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 58.8% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 57.9% |
| Total | 59.4% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
16.8%
| Cromwell College | 16.8% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 20.4% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 14.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 17.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 16.4% |
| Māori | 18.8% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 5.9% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 21.1% |
| Total | 16.8% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison Vocational Pathway data (2023-2025)
Retention
Percentage staying until at least 17th birthday — 2025
81.2%
| Cromwell College | 81.2% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 85.3% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.1% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 92.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.8% |
| Māori | 68.8% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 94.1% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 77.6% |
| Total | 81.2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
72.4%
| Cromwell College | 72.4% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 43.4% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 58% |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.4% |
| Māori | 123.3% |
| Pacific | 136.6% |
| Asian | 21.2% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 82.3% |
| Total | 72.4% |
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
8.9%
| Cromwell College | 8.9% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 4.6% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 4.6% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 7.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | 10.1% |
| Māori | 40% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 9.4% |
| Total | 8.9% |
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
4.2%
| Cromwell College | 4.2% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 2% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 2% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 4.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 3.9% |
| Māori | 14.6% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 4.8% |
| Total | 4.2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 445
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 31 December 1978
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
- 7
- Last reviewed
- 27 February 2025
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (27 February 2025)
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 27 February 2025 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 696 — 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.
February 2019
503
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 3 May 2019
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 27 February 2025 — “School Evaluation Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School Evaluation 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.
Context
Cromwell College is a rural co-educational secondary school for learners from Year 7 to Year 13 located in the Cromwell Basin. The school’s kawa (values) are kia manaak i (be respectful), kia māia (be courageous) , and kia rawe (be your best).
There are three parts to this report:
Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) published report and subsequent evaluation.
Part B: An evaluative summary of learner outcomes and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including education in Rumaki /bilingual settings.
Part C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Previous Improvement Goals
Since the previous ERO report in April 2023, ERO and the school have worked together to evaluate the impact on improved learner outcomes and academic achievement of an inclusive education. This approach is based around teaching and learning practices responding to learners’ languages, cultures and identities, Te Whare Tapa Whā wellbeing model, local contexts and the College’s kawa (values).
Expected Improvements and Findings
The school expected to see:
The continuing development of restorative systems and practices and caring values, where mutual respect and a sense of belonging create a basis for sustained connection to school.
Learner and whānau feedback increasingly inform improvements to learners’ wellbeing, sense of inclusion and connection in the school.
Regular communication between the school and its community about learners’ attendance, engagement and achievement is increasing parent and whānau involvement and interest in supporting their child’s progress.
Teachers and leaders positively acknowledge learners’ application of the school’s values.
An emphasis on inclusive teaching practices to meet the learning and wellbeing needs of the school’s diverse range of learners.
Teachers’ and learners’ use of the school’s mentored course selection process is improving learners’ decision making; learners choose programmes that suit their interests and aspirations.
Course developments and timetabling more effectively address learners’ selections.
The school is initiating steps to support English language learners through school and community-based initiatives to ensure equity for its increasingly diverse student population.
Teachers are developing shared teaching and behaviour management strategies that increasingly support successful learner engagement and progress.
The development of a pilot programme to build positive engagement and achievement among the school’s priority learners.
Priority learners at risk of becoming disengaged participate in a community work experience programme, leading to more equitable outcomes including further training, education or employment.
Student feedback and pastoral records confirm increasingly positive outcomes for learners, including gaining literacy and mathematics skills, maintaining constructive relationships with peers and staff and accessing practical training.
An increased focus on achieving personal excellence.
The school is increasing opportunities for learners to take on a range of leadership roles that contribute to modelling the school’s values.
Teachers track and respond to learner engagement in class, with improvements in respect, resilience and effort shown by the majority of learners.
The school has initiated support that is improving learner achievement levels in national qualifications, with a focus on literacy and mathematics.
The greatest shift that has occurred in response to the school’s actions is the embedding of inclusive practices that effectively meet the needs of learners; this includes careful consideration of pathways and supports for learners to achieve their potential.
Part B: Current state
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Most learners progress and achieve at appropriate curriculum levels and in school qualifications; outcomes are equitable.
Most Years 7 to 10 learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics.
Most Year 11, 12 and 13 learners, including Māori , achieve the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1, 2 and 3.
Learners seeking vocational, training or employment pathways beyond school are successfully supported through partnerships with the school community.
Improving levels of attendance are approaching, but not yet at, the Ministry of Education’s national target; the majority of learners attend regularly.
Conditions to support learner success
Leaders use a range of appropriate evidence to strengthen decision making about the school’s direction and priorities.
Leaders use learning and wellbeing data and feedback from the school community to monitor initiatives and inform strategic planning to improve student outcomes.
Leaders use the professional growth cycle effectively to evaluate how well teachers are developing a positive and inclusive learning culture focused on all learners achieving personal excellence.
Curriculum leaders share evaluative reports on the impact of their work on learner achievement and progress with senior leaders who use findings to inform strategic school improvement actions.
Curriculum design and teaching practices are increasingly responsive to learners’ needs.
The school’s curriculum design increasingly reflects local contexts to address learners’ interests and aspirations through a range of connections to the community and the environment.
Consistent teaching and learning practices emphasise restorative and inclusive practices and contribute to increased student engagement in learning.
Learners identified as needing additional support are provided with relevant learning assistance, including the provision of English language learning, so they can successfully access the curriculum.
Leaders and the board ensure that community consultation and involvement meaningfully informs school improvement in learning, wellbeing and governance.
The board evaluates the school’s actions towards meeting its Tiriti o Waitangi obligations to know how well it acknowledges and supports the views and goals of the school’s Māori and Pacific communities.
Leaders and teachers are increasing the presence of te ao Māori and tikanga Māori as part of daily school life to grow learner commitment to bicultural partnership.
The board regularly consults with the school community to ensure that the school’s strategic priorities align with their needs and aspirations.
Part C: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
continue to promote progress and achievement for all learners
focus on improving learner achievement at NCEA, including achievement at merit and excellence levels and in New Zealand Scholarship, at or above levels achieved in the school’s Equity Index Band
continue to use student and whānau feedback to inform school processes to improve learner wellbeing, sense of inclusion and connection to the school
improve and sustain regular attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months
leaders review current teaching and learning programmes, incorporating learners’ feedback to know how well programmes contribute to achieving academic excellence
leaders review processes across all year levels to improve attendance and minimise truancy and lateness
Every six months
leaders collaborate with learners and whānau to improve consistent, shared practices and accountability to support and enhance learner achievement, wellbeing and engagement
leaders and teachers celebrate and acknowledge improved effort, achievement and attendance and use this to further motivate learners and improve learner success.
Annually
leaders review and report to the board on attendance, achievement, wellbeing and engagement data to determine progress against actions, revise targets and inform next steps.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
increased achievement schoolwide, including in NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship
improved learner wellbeing outcomes
improved and sustained levels of regular attendance.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three 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 Acting Director of Schools
27 February 2025
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 7 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).