Opihi College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · State
- Year levels
- 7–13
- Total roll
- 280
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Richard Pearse Drive, Temuka
- Territorial authority
- Timaru District
- Phone
- 03-6157442
- office@opihicollege.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Canterbury
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
The school uniform is to be worn correctly and neatly at all times, including the journey to and from school.
- Required
- Where to buy the uniform
- https://themarket.com/nz/brands/schooltex/9518
Uniform items are available from [SchoolTex](https://themarket.com/nz/brands/schooltex/9518) online, The Warehouse Timaru, or the College Office.
- https://themarket.com/nz/brands/schooltex/9518
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
- major production
We put on a major production every second year and a minor production of a cabaret type nature called Starlight Spectacular in alternate years. We also host Opihi LIVE - a talent quest to showcase student and community talents.
- Starlight Spectacular
We put on a major production every second year and a minor production of a cabaret type nature called Starlight Spectacular in alternate years. We also host Opihi LIVE - a talent quest to showcase student and community talents.
- Opihi LIVE
We put on a major production every second year and a minor production of a cabaret type nature called Starlight Spectacular in alternate years. We also host Opihi LIVE - a talent quest to showcase student and community talents.
- kapa haka group, Te Umu Kaha
Our kapa haka group, Te Umu Kaha, plays a ceremonial role in the school as well as performing in public.
- Konichiwa competition
We have regular participants in the Konichiwa competition in Christchurch and the various ICAS (formerly Australasian) Science, Maths and English competitions. Student teams represent us year after year in regional competitions such as Cantamaths, Spelling and Social Studies quizzes. Some perform with distinction in the annual Central South Island Science Fair and in formal debates.
- ICAS (formerly Australasian) Science, Maths and English competitions
We have regular participants in the Konichiwa competition in Christchurch and the various ICAS (formerly Australasian) Science, Maths and English competitions. Student teams represent us year after year in regional competitions such as Cantamaths, Spelling and Social Studies quizzes. Some perform with distinction in the annual Central South Island Science Fair and in formal debates.
- Cantamaths
We have regular participants in the Konichiwa competition in Christchurch and the various ICAS (formerly Australasian) Science, Maths and English competitions. Student teams represent us year after year in regional competitions such as Cantamaths, Spelling and Social Studies quizzes. Some perform with distinction in the annual Central South Island Science Fair and in formal debates.
- Central South Island Science Fair
We have regular participants in the Konichiwa competition in Christchurch and the various ICAS (formerly Australasian) Science, Maths and English competitions. Student teams represent us year after year in regional competitions such as Cantamaths, Spelling and Social Studies quizzes. Some perform with distinction in the annual Central South Island Science Fair and in formal debates.
- formal debates
We have regular participants in the Konichiwa competition in Christchurch and the various ICAS (formerly Australasian) Science, Maths and English competitions. Student teams represent us year after year in regional competitions such as Cantamaths, Spelling and Social Studies quizzes. Some perform with distinction in the annual Central South Island Science Fair and in formal debates.
- biennial Japanese Language Study Trip
Senior students studying Japanese have the opportunity to participate in our biennial Japanese Language Study Trip.
- itinerant music lessons
You'll continue your musical journey through itinerant music lessons
- Rockquest
- Opihi Singers
- major production
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 229
- Māori
- 68
- Pacific
- 15
- Asian
- 17
- MELAA
- 2
- Other
- 2
- 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 07 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 47 |
| Year 08 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 50 |
| Year 09 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 44 |
| Year 10 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 48 |
| Year 11 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 35 |
| Year 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 28 |
| Year 13+ | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 23 |
| Total | 66 | 11 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 235 | 0 | 275 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 11 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 34 |
| Age 12 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 48 |
| Age 13 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 43 |
| Age 14 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 54 |
| Age 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 40 |
| Age 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 17 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 18 |
| Age 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 |
| Age 19+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 66 | 11 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 235 | 0 | 275 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
80%
| Opihi College | 80% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 87.1% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 89.6% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 68% |
|---|---|
| Male | 100% |
| Māori | 85.7% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 82.4% |
| Total | 80% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 1 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or above — 2025
65%
| Opihi College | 65% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 79.6% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.3% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 52% |
|---|---|
| Male | 86.7% |
| Māori | 71.4% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 64.7% |
| Total | 65% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 2 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 3 or above — 2025
25%
| Opihi College | 25% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 59% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 64.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 20% |
|---|---|
| Male | 33.3% |
| Māori | 28.6% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 23.5% |
| Total | 25% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
0%
| Opihi College | 0% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 13.7% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 14.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison Vocational Pathway data (2023-2025)
Retention
Percentage staying until at least 17th birthday — 2025
72.5%
| Opihi College | 72.5% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 83.6% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.1% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 68% |
|---|---|
| Male | 80% |
| Māori | 85.7% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 73.5% |
| Total | 72.5% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
70%
| Opihi College | 70% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 43.4% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 85.8% |
|---|---|
| Male | 56.8% |
| Māori | 74.9% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 50.7% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 61.4% |
| Total | 70% |
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
1.9%
| Opihi College | 1.9% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 4.6% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 3.5% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 2.2% |
| Total | 1.9% |
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%
| Opihi College | 0% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 2% |
| 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)
- 504
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1968
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
- 13 June 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (13 June 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 13 June 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.
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 2018
271
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 20 June 2018
October 2014
291
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 12 January 2015
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 13 June 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 Opihi College 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
Opihi College is a co-educational Years 7 to 13 school situated in Temuka in South Canterbury.
Opihi College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes are to:
support improvement in the learning progress and achievement for all students
actively promote collaboration and partnerships with all sections of the school community.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Opihi College’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of internal evaluation in supporting school processes and practices which lead to excellence and equity in student achievement in national qualifications.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
ensure that the school’s self-review processes are robust, comprehensive and contribute effectively to strengthening teacher capability for supporting equity and excellence in progress and achievement for all students
strengthen school-wide practices for planning, delivering, assessing and reporting on progress and achievement
improve student outcomes in Years 7 to 9 and NCEA
develop clear and equitable shared expectations for student learning, achievement and progress.
The school expects to see that ongoing monitoring and evaluation of achievement, valued outcomes and other indicator data will show improved student achievement outcomes in terms of excellence and equity for all students and in the percentage of students gaining NCEA level 1 to 3 and endorsements.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to use internal evaluation to strengthen practices which lead to excellence and equity in student achievement.
Teachers are improvement focused and share enthusiasm for curriculum development.
School leadership and teachers engage in professional learning and development to improve teacher practice.
There is a school-wide commitment to growing the capability of the staff to support and promote student achievement and engagement.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
implementing a localised curriculum which is responsive to the aspirations of students, parents, and whānau
fostering ongoing collection of whānau and ākonga perspectives on how well the curriculum supports all students' sense of belonging and engagement in learning
strengthening school-wide practices for planning, delivering, assessing and reporting on progress and achievement.
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
13 June 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 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).