Kai Iwi School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 96
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 908 State Highway 3, Kai Iwi, Whanganui
- Territorial authority
- Whanganui District
- Phone
- 06-3429823
- office@kaiiwi.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.kaiiwi.school.nz/
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Manawatū-Whanganui
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.
- Uniform
- Required
Kai Iwi School has had a compulsory school uniform for a few years.
- Required
- Getting there
- The Transit bus is provided to the school, by the MOE, to assist those living in the country. It does 3 runs each morning and afternoon; out to Mowhanau Village via Kai Iwi Valley Rd, up to Maxwell (Maxwell Station Rd and Rangitatau West Rd as far as Pakaraka Rd) and Rangitatau East Rd to Bushy Park. Kai Iwi School also owns its own bus to cater for students living in town, who wish to attend a country school.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 84
- Māori
- 26
- Pacific
- 2
- Asian
- 3
- 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 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 02 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 03 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 11 |
| Year 04 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 05 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
| Year 06 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Year 08 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Total | 24 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 82 | 0 | 90 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 06 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Age 07 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 11 |
| Age 08 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 09 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Age 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 24 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 82 | 0 | 90 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
14%
| Kai Iwi School | 14% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 45.5% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 28.3% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 15.2% |
| Total | 14% |
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%
| Kai Iwi School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 6.2% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Kai Iwi School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 2.8% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 483
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 7 February 1876
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
- 6
- Last reviewed
- 25 September 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (25 September 2024)
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 25 September 2024 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 96 — 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.
October 2016
99
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 7 February 2017
March 2014
80
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 30 April 2014
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 25 September 2024 — “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
Kai Iwi School is a full primary located approximately 10 kilometres from Whanganui . Their shared vision is to nurture learners who achieve, are confident, connected to community and creative leaders.
There are three parts to this report.
Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.
Part B: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any 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 of February 2023, the school has focused on evaluating how well delivery of the school’s literacy curriculum achieves equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.
Expected Improvements and Findings
The school expected to see:
Effective teaching and learning, reflecting shared strategies and new approaches, in the delivery of literacy.
Teachers, and support staff, demonstrate effective use of literacy strategies that build key foundational knowledge and skills which have impact positively on the progress and achievement of learners.
Teacher inquiry that identifies the impact of strategies on learner outcomes and how barriers to learning are addressed to accelerate the progress of students.
Use of a robust teaching inquiry process ensures approaches to literacy are explored, to identify strategies that work for learners and address barriers to positive engagement, progress and achievement.
The schools’ localised curriculum is documented over time to reflect shared expectations for teaching, learning and culturally responsive practice in literacy.
Development of the documented literacy curriculum has established well considered teaching and learning expectations, that ensure learners experience consistent, sequenced, and progressional learning, matched to their individual needs.
Other Findings
The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action, is in schoolwide structured literacy approaches, resulting in consistent teaching practice and impacting positively on achievement outcomes for learners in reading.
Part B: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Learner outcomes are increasingly equitable and excellent.
Most learners, including Māori learners, achieve curriculum expectations in reading with a large majority achieving in writing and mathematics.
Leaders report, and ERO’s evaluation affirms, disparity for boys in writing, when compared to girls; relevant actions have been established to address this disparity and raise overall achievement in writing.
Timely communication with parents and whānau supports positive attendance; most learners attend regularly, aligned to the Ministry of Education’s targets.
Inclusive practices, and multiple opportunities for student leadership, fosters a positive environment that supports learner wellbeing and encourages their purposeful engagement at school.
Conditions to support learner success
Leaders establish relevant priorities and facilitate improvements that achieve positive outcomes for learners.
Strategic and annual implementation goals identify well considered priorities that guide relevant improvement actions that improve learner outcomes.
Learner outcomes, teaching, and curriculum delivery are strengthened by leaders’ effective facilitation of new approaches to practice.
Leaders regular monitoring of learner outcomes ensures individuals identified with additional and complex needs receive timely learning support that meets their specific needs.
Learners engage purposefully in collaborative and orderly environments that foster meaningful participation in learning.
Staff use a variety of evidence based and intentional teaching strategies to sequence purposeful, well-paced learning for students.
Assessments are used well to plan for teaching, learning and meet reporting requirements to trustees, parents and whānau .
Design and delivery of the curriculum is inclusive of the community ensuring planned contexts and experiences are matched to learner interests.
Key conditions that support learner success are well established.
Leaders, staff and trustees develop mutually beneficial partnerships that ensure the aspirations of their community are met and aligned to their vision for learner success.
Parents, whānau and iwi are valued partners in student learning and their views are actively sought to bring about school improvement.
The board effectively represents and serves the school community; information reported to trustees ensures their resourcing and decision-making benefits learner outcomes.
Staff are highly collaborative, sharing practice informs agreed teaching and learning expectations, that benefits improving outcomes for learners.
Part C: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
continue to provide opportunities for staff to share practice, and participate in further structured literacy professional learning, that embeds current strategies, and incorporates new learning that improves literacy outcomes
collaboratively review current practice in delivery of writing and develop shared expectations for teaching and learning that achieves equitable outcomes and raises achievement.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
leaders of literacy learning will continue to facilitate collaborative professional learning opportunities for staff to embed their shared expectations for teaching and learning in structured literacy
staff will collaboratively review current practice in delivery of writing and begin to establish shared expectations that promote effective practice and strengthen learner outcomes.
Annually:
leader’s statement of variance will use information reported from the literacy leader to inform trustees on how well approaches to structured literacy are embedded and have impacted on learner outcomes
teaching inquiry will continue to be shared between staff, and with trustees, to collectively determine strategies and actions that have achieved successful outcomes for targeted learners
leaders will gather information and evaluate teaching and learning in writing to understanding how well changes in practice are impacting on learner outcomes.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
effective teaching and learning in structured literacy approaches ensures learners develop comprehensive knowledge and skills that achieves positive achievement outcomes that are sustained over time.
shared approaches in delivery of the revised writing curriculum ensures effective teaching and learning practices achieve equitable outcomes, raise and sustain overall achievement.
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
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
25 September 2024
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 6 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).