Fairfield Primary School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 339
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 260 Clarkin Road, Fairfield, Hamilton
- Territorial authority
- Hamilton City
- Phone
- 07-8556284
- ffield@fairfieldprimary.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Hamilton · schools in Waikato
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.
- School day starts
- 8:40 am
8:40 am | School instruction begins
- 8:40 am
- School day ends
- 2:30 pm
2:30 pm | School finishes
- 2:30 pm
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
- Empowering Learners to Succeed
- Our school-wide values are actively promoted by all students and staff. They provide a direction for teaching and learning at our school.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 57
- Māori
- 224
- Pacific
- 86
- Asian
- 34
- MELAA
- 12
- 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 | 41 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62 |
| Year 02 | 32 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 57 |
| Year 03 | 29 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 50 |
| Year 04 | 42 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59 |
| Year 05 | 41 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67 |
| Year 06 | 23 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 51 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 211 | 94 | 35 | 18 | 1 | 57 | 0 | 350 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 33 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 52 |
| Age 06 | 34 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 55 |
| Age 07 | 30 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 54 |
| Age 08 | 42 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 61 |
| Age 09 | 45 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 70 |
| Age 10 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 50 |
| Age 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Total | 211 | 94 | 35 | 18 | 1 | 57 | 0 | 350 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
190%
| Fairfield Primary School | 190% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 53.9% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 119.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 250.3% |
| Māori | 229.4% |
| Pacific | 59.8% |
| Asian | 189.6% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 83.4% |
| Total | 190% |
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%
| Fairfield Primary School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 6.6% |
| 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%
| Fairfield Primary School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Waikato 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)
- 541
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 31 October 1919
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
- 29 January 2026
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (11 September 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 11 September 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.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 29 January 2026 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 0 to 6
provides education for students in Years 0 to 6
- Years 0 to 6
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 29 January 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
Fairfield Primary School is in north-east Hamilton and provides education for students in Years 0 to 6. The school roll is 378. The student roll includes 57% who identify as Māori, 19% as Pacific and the remaining 24% of students from an increasing number of ethnic backgrounds. The school has high expectations for all learners with the Fairfield learner values of respect, excellence and resilience underpinning school life.
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 September 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.
Expected improvements
Priorities from the last review were to evaluate how effectively school programmes and practices improve outcomes for all students in literacy. Strengthening home-school learning partnerships and improving student attendance continue to be ongoing priorities for the school.
Findings
The school expected to see planned actions implemented to improve progress and increase equitable outcomes for all learners in literacy.
The school implemented a structured literacy approach which is improving learner progress and increasing equitable outcomes for all learners. The structured literacy programme has been well resourced and included specific training for teachers.
Other findings
Teachers have noticed that learners are more confident to take risks in their writing and are making good attempts with their spelling.
Leaders report that introducing parents and whānau to the structured literacy programme provides opportunities to share how families/ whānau can help at home and develop a learning partnership between the school and whānau.
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 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 ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.
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 reports usefully and accurately 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 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 small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing Less than half of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics Less than half 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.
Less than half of learners attend school regularly.
The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is reducing over time.
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 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
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
Leaders, staff and the school Board consistently focus on meeting the needs of all learners. They prioritise improving regular attendance and raising achievement in literacy and mathematics.
Collaborative leadership creates and maintains a culture increasingly focused on quality teaching and the school’s goals.
There is a well-planned approach to develop leadership and teachers’ skills so effective, responsive programmes meet diverse learners’ needs.
Structured approaches to teaching literacy and mathematics are being implemented. The curriculum offers a range of relevant learning opportunities that align with local contexts.
Leaders regularly use evaluative evidence to plan improvement actions and check how these changes help learners.
Key priorities
Improve all students’ regular attendance.
Review assessment practices and align with updates to The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements.
Accelerate the rates of progress for all students in reading, writing and mathematics.
Actions to bring about improvement
Within three months:
leaders and teachers implement the attendance plan
Within six months:
leaders and teachers review literacy and mathematics assessment practices, align with The New Zealand Curriculum ; and identify further staff learning priorities
Every six months:
leaders monitor the effectiveness of strategies to improve regular attendance and report to community
leaders and teachers monitor and review the effectiveness of actions, including professional learning, to accelerate achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
leaders and teachers review assessment practices schoolwide to ensure they are useful, consistent and accurate
Annually:
leaders and the Board evaluate the effectiveness of attendance strategies to see what is working well and adjust those strategies that are not
leaders review and report to the Board on student progress and achievement information, identify barriers to learning and inform ongoing strategic planning for improvement.
Expected outcomes
Sustained and improved regular student attendance.
Consistent high-quality teaching practices and improved equitable outcomes for all learners.
Alignment of the school curriculum and The New Zealand Curriculum.
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
Recommendation to the Ministry of Education
ERO recommends that the Secretary for Education consider intervention for specialist help as listed in section 171(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020 to bring about the following improvements in:
Improving all students’ regular attendance.
Reviewing assessment practices and align with updates to The New Zealand Curriculum and assessment requirements.
Accelerating the rates of progress for all students in reading, writing and mathematics.
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
29 January 2026
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).