Ngakuru School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 56
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 913 Whirinaki Valley Road, Ngakuru, Rotorua
- Territorial authority
- Rotorua District
- Phone
- 07-3332841
- office@ngakuru.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.ngakuru.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Rotorua · schools in Waikato
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
At our school, children may wear any plain black bottoms—shorts, leggings, tracksuit pants, or skorts. Shoes and socks must also be black (gumboots are fine too).
- Required
- Getting there
- School bus service by Ritchies, running twice daily to and from school; the bus arrives 8:35
We have a school bus service by Ritchies, that runs twice daily, to and from school. Most of our students travel to and from school on the school bus each day. Please enquire at the school office to view the bus run route and timings.
- School bus service by Ritchies, running twice daily to and from school; the bus arrives 8:35
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 41
- Māori
- 18
- Pacific
- 0
- Asian
- 2
- 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 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Year 02 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 03 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Year 04 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| Year 05 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 06 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| Year 07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 08 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 67 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Age 06 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 07 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 08 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 09 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Age 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 67 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
34.5%
| Ngakuru School | 34.5% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 53.9% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 53.1% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 52.9% |
| Total | 34.5% |
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%
| Ngakuru School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 6.6% |
| 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 | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Ngakuru School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 2.4% |
| 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 | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 461
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 5 September 1933
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
- 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 56 — 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.
June 2017
51
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 5 October 2017
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
Ngakuru School is a small rural primary school situated south of Rotorua and provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school values being the hub of their rural community and encourages positive community relationships and engagement. Ngakuru School’s vision, values and learner dispositions focus on students striving for personal excellence.
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 in August 2022, ERO and the school worked together to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning practices in supporting and maximising opportunities for every student to learn and achieve at their appropriate curriculum level .
Expected Improvements and Findings
The school expected to see:
Maximum and equitable opportunities for all learners to succeed.
Almost all learners achieve at or above their expected curriculum level in reading, writing and mathematics.
A pattern of sustained high achievement is evident over time, with an increase in numbers of learners achieving above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
Quality teaching and learning practices that are consistent and effective.
High expectations for student success are now established schoolwide enabling students to consistently progress in their learning through engaging programmes and explicit teacher instruction.
Leaders and teachers have established effective systems to regularly monitor learner progress and achievement, responding effectively to ensure learner needs are met and outcomes are progressed.
Other Findings
During the course of the evaluation, it was found that leaders and teachers have refined systems for regularly evaluating their impact on learner progress, resulting in consistent quality practices for teaching and learning and improved outcomes for learners.
Part B: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Almost all learners are achieving outcomes of equity and excellence.
Highly positive learner outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are sustained over time, with increased numbers of learners achieving above expected curriculum levels.
Learners requiring additional learning assistance are well supported and consistently show progress against their goals, and improved outcomes.
The school continues to work towards meeting the Ministry of Education attendance targets.
Conditions to support learner success
Leaders foster a collective culture focused on high quality teaching and learning.
Leaders build and sustain trust and collaboration within the school and community to support strategic vision and positive outcomes for learners.
Professional learning initiatives are informed by assessment data and aligned to school strategic planning that focus staff on continually improving practice for better outcomes for learners.
Leaders and teachers have established processes and strategies to ensure collective expectations for high quality teaching and learning across the school, resulting in continued positive outcomes for learners.
Teaching is intentional and responsive to the different needs of learners.
Teacher planning meets the needs of learners, enabling learners to confidently engage in learning, grow new knowledge and consistently progress.
Respectful and collaborative teacher-learner relationships foster an inclusive environment that promotes student engagement in learning.
Teachers collaboratively monitor learners’ progress and achievement to support consistent planning and high-quality teaching that is focused on next steps for learners.
The school has well established conditions that underpin school improvement.
Positive outcomes for learner wellbeing and engagement in learning are well supported and enhanced through established programmes and processes that grow learners’ sense of belonging, resilience and skills for self-regulation.
Student self-management of learning at school and home is enhanced through access to a digital platform that contains planning that responds to students’ interests and learning needs.
Leaders and teachers involve parents, whānau and community in sharing aspirations for their children; this information informs school decision making to strengthen engagement and positive outcomes for learners.
Leaders and teachers use information from a range of sources to effectively analyse and evaluate the impact of actions focused on improving outcomes for learners, and to plan for ongoing improvement.
Part C: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
sustain high levels of learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
implement, integrate and embed consistency of updated curriculum and assessment requirements
continue to strengthen whānau , community and iwi engagement and partnerships
improve and sustain rates of regular learner attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
identify teachers’ strengths and needs regarding curriculum requirements in reading, writing and mathematics to inform professional development
gather student and whānau voice about attendance and review this information alongside formal attendance data, to support implementation of strategies to improve regular attendance
Every six months:
monitor learner progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, including expectations for curriculum implementation; align these findings to inform next steps for continued improvement
monitor and report on the impact of strategies to improve regular attendance rates
Annually:
evaluate and report, to the board and community, on reading, writing and mathematics outcomes for all learners; use this information to identify what is having the most impact for learners and what areas require strengthening
analyse how well teachers’ and leaders have embedded updated curriculum and assessment requirements and how this has impacted learner progress and achievement
gather whānau voice to review engagement and partnership strengths and areas for continued improvement
evaluate patterns in attendance for all learners, report findings to the board and community and use this information to identify next steps to continue increasing regular rates of attendance.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
sustained high levels of progress and achievement for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics
embedded high quality teaching and learning practices across the school for reading, writing and mathematics
positive whānau and community relationships that inspire high levels of engagement to support the most effective outcomes for all learners
improved and sustained rates of regular attendance for all learners.
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 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).