Matarau School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 280
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 124 Matarau Road, Kamo, Whangarei
- Territorial authority
- Whangarei District
- Phone
- 09-4335823
- admin@matarau.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.matarau.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Whangārei · schools in Northland
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.
- How to enrol
- https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/1043
Here is the link to the enrolment form [Matarau School Online Enrolment](https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/1043) Please complete this form if you are in the Matarau School zone.
- https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/1043
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.
- International students
- Accepted, as stated
Why parents of international students should consider Matarau School for their child?
- Accepted, as stated
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
- Calf Club day
Calf Club day - Matarau School
- Kapa Haka
Kapa Haka is a taonga at Matarau School, connecting our students to te ao Māori through waiata, haka, pūrakau (storytelling), and tikanga.
- Calf Club day
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 233
- Māori
- 73
- Pacific
- 8
- Asian
- 12
- MELAA
- 7
- Other
- 0
- International
- 1
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 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 25 |
| Year 02 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 37 |
| Year 03 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 33 |
| Year 04 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 36 |
| Year 05 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 40 |
| Year 06 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 38 |
| Year 07 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 41 |
| Year 08 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 26 |
| Total | 68 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 220 | 0 | 276 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 25 |
| Age 06 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 37 |
| Age 07 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 35 |
| Age 08 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 33 |
| Age 09 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 42 |
| Age 10 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 37 |
| Age 11 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 34 |
| Age 12 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 30 |
| Age 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 68 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 220 | 0 | 276 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Matarau School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 52% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
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 stand-down rates data (2024)
Age-standardised suspension rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Matarau School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 6.5% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| 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%
| Matarau School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 2.7% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| 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)
- 440
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 26 May 1878
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
- 5
- Last reviewed
- 25 February 2025
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (30 September 2022)
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 30 September 2022 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 25 February 2025 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 8
provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8
- Years 1 to 8
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 280 — 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.
May 2015
265
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 29 June 2015
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 25 February 2025 — “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.
About the School
Matarau School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The roll is just under 300 students and is made up of primarily European and Pākehā learners, with approximately a quarter of students of Māori descent. The board’s vision for the school is that children are provided with diverse and challenging opportunities to be valued, to know and build on their strengths, to make productive learning and personal decisions and to enjoy the process of learning .
Progress since September 2022 ERO report
ERO and the school worked together to evaluate how well the school conditions contribute to developing student ownership of their learning. Students increasingly discuss what they are learning with each other and their teachers; this is strengthening learners’ confidence and work habits. Students consistently knowing how well they are learning and their next learning steps are areas for ongoing improvement.
Teaching increasingly responds to students’ strengths, needs and abilities. Leaders and teachers need to embed a schoolwide approach to student ownership of learning so that learners, staff and parents have a shared knowledge and understanding of student progress and achievement.
How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?
How well are learners succeeding? Success and progress for all learners is increasing.
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 an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain 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 is taking steps to improve 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 needs to ensure a physically and emotionally safe learning environment.
Achievement in Years 0 to 8
This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.
Foundation Skills
Reading Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.
Assessment
The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Teachers are developing assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
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 some progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
Part B - Findings for the school
This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.
Areas of Strength
Most learners achieve at and above the expected curriculum levels in reading and the large majority achieve this in writing and maths; achievement information shows there are no significant inequities between groups of learners.
Students are confident and express a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school.
Leadership sets goals focused on improving learner outcomes; refining these goals in line with parent and whānau aspirations is a next step.
Structured literacy is well embedded in the junior area of the school; consistent schoolwide implementation for structured literacy and mathematics is prioritised for 2025.
Learners experience a range of meaningful learning opportunities and leaders and teachers are working towards strengthening the integration of curriculum initiatives and programmes that draw on te reo Māori and tikanga Māori .
Teaching staff increasingly engage in professional learning and development opportunities that enable them to support the many different needs of learners.
Teachers regularly and collaboratively reflect on and inquire into aspects of their practice, monitoring the impact of their actions.
Key priorities and actions for improvement
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
review initiatives to improve the regular attendance of all students that includes greater involvement of parents and whānau
strengthen teaching, learning and formative assessment practices to support all students to consistently have ownership of their learning, improving and sustaining achievement
with urgency, strengthen the review of systems and processes and make sure that school policies and procedures align to legislative requirements; priority needs to be given to policy and procedures related to complaints and child protection
refine strategic and curriculum initiatives, embedding te reo Māori and tikanga Māori schoolwide so that staff and learners develop confidence in their knowledge and understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
purposefully engage with parents and whānau to review current attendance initiatives, and develop and implement an action plan
seek external guidance to ensure systems and processes for reviewing school polices are robust
Every six months:
review the impact of the action plan to improve students’ regular attendance and support further action
continue to provide professional learning opportunities that strengthen teachers’ understanding and use of highly effective teaching, learning and formative assessment practices
review the progress made with refining the strategic and curriculum initiatives, including te reo Māori and tikanga Māori , to inform future planning and action
Annually:
evaluate the impact of teaching practice on students’ engagement, progress and achievement and use this to inform next steps
review and report to the board on student attendance, progress and achievement information to support ongoing strategic decision making for improvement
ensure school policies and procedures are regularly and rigorously reviewed by the board.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
improved regular student attendance and high levels of achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
learners who actively participate in the learning process and can consistently explain what they are learning, why and identify their next learning steps
learners and teachers confident in their knowledge and use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori
well implemented policies and procedures that are clearly aligned to current legislative and regulatory requirements.
Background
The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Findings
The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.
No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review.
Recommendations
ERO’s evaluation of the school’s process for self-review and provision of pastoral care as required by the Code identified that policies and procedures that guide the expected care of international students need to be reviewed and updated.
ERO recommends that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority as Administrator of the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 follows up with the school about its implementation of procedures for police vetting of homestays.
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
During this review the Board has attested to some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:
Board Administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Personnel Management
Yes
Actions for Compliance
ERO has identified the following area for improvement:
an appropriate system and process for reviewing and updating relevant policies and procedures is not yet in place. Of urgency is ensuring: - that the Child Protection Policy and Procedures have sufficient guidance for staff and parents to know, understand and use effectively
the documented policy and procedures for dealing with complaints, and the enactment of these, adequately support complainants and the school to reach satisfactory resolution of complaints.
ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
records must be kept for each physical restraint undertaken. [Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2023]
The board has not yet addressed the area of non-compliance identified.
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
25 February 2025
Education Counts
This 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 5 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).