Halfway Bush School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 37
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 54 Ashmore Street, Halfway Bush, Dunedin
- Territorial authority
- Dunedin City
- Phone
- 03-4763207
- office@hwb.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.hwb.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Dunedin · schools in Otago
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 is on offer beyond the classroom?
The sports, arts, clubs and groups this school names on its own website. Not a complete list of what any school offers, and not a count — a school that names more here has written more down, which is not the same as doing more.
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.
- On offer
- Polyfest
Halfway Bush school students get the opportunity to participate yearly in Polyfest, with both Kapa Haka and Pacifica on offer bi annually.
- Kapa Haka
Halfway Bush school students get the opportunity to participate yearly in Polyfest, with both Kapa Haka and Pacifica on offer bi annually.
- Pacifica
Halfway Bush school students get the opportunity to participate yearly in Polyfest, with both Kapa Haka and Pacifica on offer bi annually.
- Music lessons
Music lessons are available both within the curriculum and during lunch time for chidren who are interested, at no cost.
- Polyfest
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 26
- Māori
- 8
- Pacific
- 8
- Asian
- 4
- 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 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Year 02 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Year 03 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 04 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 05 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 |
| Year 06 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 07 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 7 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 33 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Age 06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Age 07 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 08 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| Age 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 7 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 33 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Halfway Bush School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
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%
| Halfway Bush School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 4.6% |
| 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 | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Halfway Bush School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 2% |
| 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 | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 498
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1956
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
- 20 July 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (20 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 same report — the board assurance report of 20 July 2023 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.
ERO and the board have identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
child protection policy - detailed guidance for identifying possible abuse or neglect; reviewed every three years; available to parents. [Children’s Act 2014, sections 18 and 19]
The board has since taken steps to address the area of non-compliance identified.
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 37 — 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 2018
50
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 9 April 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 20 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 18 months of the Education Review Office and Halfway Bush 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
Halfway Bush school is a contributing school located in a semi-rural hilltop suburb three kilometres from Dunedin City. The school vision is Taputakinoi – Throw the Challenge High to provide an education that meets the needs of all children.
Halfway Bush School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
raising literacy achievement levels for all students, with a particular focus on priority learners
to monitor and evaluate the impact of structured literacy through improved outcomes for all learners.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Halfway Bush School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of the school wide structured literacy approach that aims to lift and sustain progress and achievement for all learners, with a particular focus on priority learners.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
school leaders have identified key groups of priority learners currently needing support to meet progress and achievement expectations in literacy
a desire to strengthen specific and targeted structured literacy teaching practices across the school to be more responsive to the needs of learners
recent community consultation has indicated support for a structured approach to the teaching of literacy.
The school expects to see:
increased success for learners who are not yet meeting expectations in literacy
a consistent approach to the explicit teaching practices that positively influence outcomes for learners
strengthening partnerships with whānau around children’s literacy learning.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal in literacy teaching, learning outcomes and partnerships with parents:
experienced leaders, who build strong learning-focused relationships across the school community
pedagogical expertise within the school that supports the implementation of a structured approach to literacy
learners’ voices are valued, contributing to student agency across the school.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
strengthening internal evaluation capability to analyse achievement data so that the school can be more responsive in forward planning for improving outcomes for learners
ongoing professional learning across the school to ensure effective, consistent literacy teaching and learning
continuing to build learning-focused relationships with preschool and new entrant parents about the school’s approach to literacy.
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
20 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 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).