Otaika Valley School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 163
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 11 Valley View Road, Otaika Valley, Whangarei
- Territorial authority
- Whangarei District
- Phone
- 09-4322731
- admin@otaika.school.nz
- Website
- https://otaika.school.nz/
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Whangārei · schools in Northland
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.
- School day starts
- 9.00am
It is best to be at school 15 minutes before 9.00am
- 9.00am
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.
- In their words
- Otaika Valley School
- Committed to nurturing our tamariki’s social, emotional, cultural and academic development, TOGETHER with our community.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 145
- Māori
- 59
- Pacific
- 8
- Asian
- 5
- MELAA
- 3
- 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 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 29 |
| Year 02 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 03 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 18 |
| Year 04 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 18 |
| Year 05 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 06 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 07 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 54 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 116 | 0 | 131 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 27 |
| Age 06 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 25 |
| Age 07 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 17 |
| Age 08 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 19 |
| Age 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 16 |
| Age 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 54 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 116 | 0 | 131 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Otaika Valley School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 52% |
| 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 | 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%
| Otaika Valley School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 6.5% |
| 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 | 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%
| Otaika Valley School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 2.7% |
| 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 | 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)
- 470
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 25 January 1880
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
- 24 March 2026
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (16 January 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 16 January 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.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 24 March 2026 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 6
provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6
- Years 1 to 6
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 24 March 2026 — “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.
Every New Zealand state and state integrated school has an ERO review at least once every four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.
About the School
Otaika Valley School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. From 2026 the school will provide education for learners in Year 7 and then the Year 8 over the following two years. 40% of the students at the school as Māori . The large majority of learners identify as New Zealand European/ Pākehā . The school’s vision is ’ Kā Tupu Kotahi Ai Tatou -Together We Grow ‘.
Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement, school enrolments and school zones. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
An explanation of the terms and judgements used in this report can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
Improvement and progress
This section is about the progress the school has made since the January 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.
Expected improvements
The focus for the school was to evaluate how effectively they develop and implement its local curriculum and culturally responsive practices to ensure learning is relevant, authentic, and effective for all learners.
Findings
Since the review, the staff and community have significantly developed and strengthened culturally responsive practices in collaboration with Kahui Ako, whānau, hapū and iwi . There is now a focus on sustaining this across the school to ensure learning is relevant and authentic for all learners.
What we know about learner success
This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.
How well are learners succeeding? The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.
What is the quality of teaching and learning? The school is improving teaching and learning.
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 a variable focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational 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? The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.
How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? The school reasonably promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners? The school is improving its reporting 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 board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.
Achievement in 1 to 6
This section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.
Less than a third Less than half Small majority Large majority Most Almost all
0 to 33% 34 to 49% 50 to 64% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%
Reading A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.
The small majority of learners attend school regularly.
The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is reducing over time.
Assessment
This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.
The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Teachers are developing their use of assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
Progress
This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient 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 progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
Next steps for improvement
This section provides more detail for the school to include in its strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. It outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.
Areas of strength
Strong, long-standing partnerships with the local community foster a welcoming, family-like environment that promotes a strong sense of belonging.
School values are clearly understood and consistently embedded in interactions, shaping a positive culture and environment for learning.
Learners demonstrate high levels of engagement and support for each other with warm and respectful relationships evident. Teachers work collaboratively with leaders to promote effective practice.
Inclusive approaches support individual learners with additional needs. Structured teaching and learning programmes in reading, writing and mathematics are in place.
Key priorities
Maintain and strengthen initiatives that promote regular attendance for all learners.
Clearly identify which learners need support by using well-analysed data, set annual improvement targets to help these learners make accelerated progress.
Strengthen leadership practices for regular monitoring and reporting on the impact of schoolwide acceleration strategies on targeted learners’ progress and outcomes.
Actions to bring about improvement
Every six months:
leaders and the Otaika Valley School Board review attendance data, evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives, adjust planning to sustain or improve regular attendance
leaders analyse and share summarised achievement data for targeted learners with staff and the Board to ensure clarity and focus to guide improvement
teachers monitor the progress of boys’ reading achievement and refine accelerative strategies based on evidence of impact
leaders plan meetings with teachers using an agreed framework to track and respond to the progress of targeted learners
Annually:
leaders report to the Board on attendance trends and the impact of strategies on learner engagement
leaders provide the Board a comprehensive analysis of targeted learners’ progress and achievement, highlighting areas of acceleration and identify next steps
teachers and leaders review and update acceleration strategies for boys’ reading to ensure continued improvement.
leaders and the Board evaluate the effectiveness of leadership practices and frameworks in promoting improved outcomes for targeted learners.
Expected outcomes
Sustained increased rates of regular attendance over time.
Targeted learners demonstrate accelerated progress, particularly boys’ reading achievement.
Leadership monitoring and evaluation practices are strengthened, enabling responsive and evidence-based decision-making that improve learner outcomes.
Regulatory and legislative requirements
This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.
Board assurance with regulatory and legislative requirements
This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.
During this review the Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:
Board administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of health, safety and welfare
Yes
Personnel management
Yes
The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within four 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 Director of Schools
24 March 2026
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).