Otaki School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 204
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Mill Road, Ōtaki
- Territorial authority
- Kapiti Coast District
- Phone
- 06-3648704
- admin@otaki.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.otaki.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Wellington Region
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
- 9am
9am School starts with Karakia
- 9am
- School day ends
- 3pm
3pm School finishes with Karakia
- 3pm
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
- Ko ā tātou tamariki ngā rangatira ō āpōpō
- Learners today, Leaders Tomorrow
- Ōtaki School, Te Kura o Ōtaki believes that the heart of our school is our tamariki/mokopuna, our learners. We believe that every learner has the right to achieve excellence in a wide range of academic, cultural and sporting activities, for they are our leaders and guardians of tomorrow.
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
- Kapahaka
At Ōtaki School all our tamariki learn Kapahaka.
- Te Korowai Whakamana
Te Korowai Whakamana have a teina rōpū and a tuakana rōpū.
- Ngāi Kete
Ngāi Kete have a combined rōpū
- Te Kapa o Ōtaki
we have our Te Kapa o Ōtaki rōpū.
- Kapahaka
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 65
- Māori
- 184
- Pacific
- 15
- Asian
- 6
- MELAA
- 3
- 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 01 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 29 |
| Year 02 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 34 |
| Year 03 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 27 |
| Year 04 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 31 |
| Year 05 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 35 |
| Year 06 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 07 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 08 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 188 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 0 | 202 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| Age 06 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Age 07 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 29 |
| Age 08 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 30 |
| Age 09 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 35 |
| Age 10 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| Age 11 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19 |
| Age 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 188 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 0 | 202 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
55.8%
| Otaki School | 55.8% |
|---|---|
| Wellington Region | 24.7% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 109.2% |
| Māori | 59.6% |
| Pacific | 572.1% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 55.8% |
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
49%
| Otaki School | 49% |
|---|---|
| Wellington Region | 2.6% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 94.8% |
| Māori | 52.1% |
| Pacific | 523.2% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 49% |
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%
| Otaki School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Wellington Region | 0.9% |
| 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)
- 528
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- Some students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1881
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
- 2
- Last reviewed
- 19 March 2025
- Latest report
- Ngā Kitenga Arotake Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- not reported
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 204 — 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.
November 2024
181
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 19 March 2025
October 2018
173
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 27 November 2018
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 19 March 2025 — “Ngā Kitenga Arotake Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
ERO wrote this report in te reo Māori and in English. Both are here as ERO published them, in ERO’s order, untranslated.
1 He Kupu Arataki
Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ngā whānau, ngā kaiārahi, ngā kaimahi me ngā hapori ki te whakawhanake i ngā tirohanga aromātai e whai wāhi nui ai ki te hāpai i te kawenga takohanga me te whakapaitanga, ki te tautuhi i te ahu whakamua, ā, ki te whakapakari ake hoki i te āheinga ki te aromātai. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā hapū, me ngā iwi.
2 Te Horopaki
E tū ana Te Kura o Ōtaki ki waenga i te maunga o Tararua me te tahamoana o Ōtaki. Ko ngā awa o Ōtaki me Mangapōuri, ka ārai, ka tū hoki hei manawapou mō rātou. Ka arahina, ka whakatairangatia rātou e ngā tikanga o Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga. Ka whakarato te kura i te mātauranga reo rua me te mātauranga rumaki reo Māori ki ngā tamariki o ngā tau 1 ki te 8.
3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai
I kitea ki te pūrongo Mana Whakahaere a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ka waihanga ngā kaiārahi me ngā kāwana i tētahi taiao ako papai e whakarato ana i ngā whai wāhitanga mō ngā tamariki ki te whakatinana i te tauāki e meatia ana ‘kia Ōtaki te tū’ , hei āhuatanga matua o ō rātou wheako o ia rā.
Nā te aromātai Mana Whakahaere, i whakatau Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me ngā kaiārahi o te kura, ko ngā kaupapa matua o ngā whakawhanaketanga, ko te
arotake me te whakapai ake i ngā whakaritenga aromatawai puta noa i te kura
whakatairanga ake i ngā taumata i whakatakotohia ai, me te
whakapai ake i te aroturuki me te pūrongo i te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae a ngā tamariki e noho mōrearea ana i roto i te ako.
E whakatinana tonu ana ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako i ngā mahi e arotahi ana ki te whakapai ake i aua whakaritenga.
I ū tonu te aronga o te aromātai nei, arā, ‘He pēhea rawa te whakaatu mai a ngā tamariki i te tauākī e meatia ana ‘kia Ōtaki te tū’?’
Ka tautāwhi tonu, ka whakapuaki tonu ngā tamariki i te uara o te kura e meatia ana ‘kia Ōtaki te tū’ . Ka whai wāhi atu rātou ki tētahi marautanga i āta whakaarohia ai, ā, e whakatairanga ana i tō rātou aronga toi whenuatanga, tō rātou waiora, me tō rātou ngākau titikaha hei ākonga.
4 Mana Tamariki
Ka tuitui haere i te reo Māori, i ngā tikanga Māori, me te ao Māori, puta noa i ngā tūāhuatanga katoa o te marau i te kura. Ka ako, ka whakanui hoki ngā tamariki i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me tō rātou tū tangata whenua. Ka whanake tō rātou ngākau titikaha ki te kōrero i te reo Māori, ā, ki te tū hoki hei kaiārahi ā tōna wā mō ō rātou hapū me ō rātou iwi. Ka hāngai ngā mahere whakaako o ia wiki me ia rā ki Te Marautanga o Aotearoa me te New Zealand Curriculum , ā, ka whai pānga anō hoki ki ngā putanga e wawatatia ana ki te marau ā-kura. E puāwai ana te whakawhanaungatanga, puta noa i te kura. Ka tautokona ngā tamariki e mau ana i ngā matea hauora, matea ako hoki, kia whai wāhi rātou ki ngā akoranga e whai pūtake ana ki te taha o ētahi atu. Ka whai wāhi nui ngā tamariki katoa ki te whānuitanga o ngā tūmomo wheako e tika ana i te kura, ā, i tua atu hoki. He whakaute ngā taunekeneke, ā, ka kitea hoki te papai o ngā hononga ki waenga i ngā tuākana me ngā tēina. Ka whai wāhi nui ngā tamariki tūmāia ki tētahi marau e toro atu ana ki te katoa, ā, e aro haere ana ki ō rātou ngākau nuitanga me ō rātou matea. E whai hua ana ngā tamariki nā ngā whakaritenga e poipoi ana i te taha ahurea.
Ka whakatairangatia te ako a ngā tamariki mā ngā aronga e ahu mai ana i ngā whakakitenga. E piki haere ana te aronga ki te whakapai ake i te whakaako me te ako o te reo matatini me te pāngarau, ā, ki te whakatinana hoki i ngā tino rautaki ako nahanaha e pā ana ki te reo matatini. Kua kī pai ngā akomanga ki te reo ā-tā, he tika hoki ngā rauemi e noho wātea ana, ā, kei te piki haere te whakaongaonga i te ngākau nuitanga o ngā tamariki, me tā rātou whai wāhi atu ki ngā akoranga. Ko tō rātou ngākau titikaha ki a rātou anō hei ākonga e whakatairangatia ana ki te rangaranga reo ā-tā. Ko te mōhiotanga, te ahu whakamua, me te mātau o ngā tamariki ki te ororeo e tautokona ana e ngā kaiako, ā, e kōkiri whakamua ana ngā kaiako ki te whakatō i te rangaranga reo ā-tā me ngā wāhanga whakaako māramarama, wāhanga whakaako pūmau hoki, puta noa i te kura. E tautokona ana ngā tamariki kia eke ki ō rātou tino pūmanawa.
Ko te aromātai o roto, te whakahoahoa ngaio, me te pakirehua ngātahi e arotahi katoa ana ki te waihanga i te ahurea e hāngai ana ki te ako, e whakapūmau ana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, e tautāwhi ana i te ao Māori. Ko ngā uara o te ‘STAR’ e āta whakapuaki ana i ngā tūmanako o te kura mō te ako a ngā tamariki me tō rātou waiora hoki puta noa i te kura, ā, e akiaki ana i ngā tamariki kia ‘ safe, totally responsible, awesome learner, respectful – be a STAR ’ . Heoi, tērā te hiahia ki te tūhono i ngā tamariki ki te mātauranga Māori, ā, kia ākona, kia māramahia, kia rangona, kia whakatinanahia māhorahora hoki e rātou ngā mātāpono o te kura e pā ana ki te whanaungatanga, te manaakitanga, te whakapapa, me te kaitiakitanga. Hei tūāhuatanga tonu o te tupu ngaio o ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi, kei te ahu whakamua rātou ki te whakatō i ngā mātāpono me te hāpai i ngā tamariki ki te whakatinana me te whakatauira hoki i ngā waiaro me ngā pūmanawa i tautuhia ai ki raro i te maru o ia mātāpono. Kei te tākare te whai wāhi atu a ngā tamariki ki te ahurea o te kura e hapahapai ana i te ako.
Ko te whāinga o ngā taumata o te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae mō te tau 2024, ko te whakawhāiti i ngā rerekētanga o ngā putanga mā te aro nahanaha ki ngā tamariki e tika ana kia whakaterea. I manatoko te aromātai a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i te whai huatanga o te arotakenga a ngā kaiārahi i ngā mahi aromatawai. I tēnei wā, e arotake ana rātou i ngā mahi aromatawai me ngā taputapu aromatawai, hei āta whakatau i te whai pūtaketanga me te whakamōhio atu i ngā whakaritenga matua o te whakaako me te ako ka whai ake. I te mutunga o te tau 2023, neke atu i te haurua o ngā ākonga katoa kei raro i ngā taumata reo matatini i tūmanakohia ai, heoi, i te waenga tau o 2024, i te piki ake te tatauranga o ngā tamariki i te ahu whakamua ki te whakatutuki i ngā tūmanako o te kura.
Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake
I tēnei wā e arotakengia ana ngā mahi aromatawai. Ko tā te aromātai nei taunaki, kia whakaoti ngā kaiārahi o te kura i te arotakenga o ngā mahi aromatawai me ngā taputapu aromatawai, me te whakatakoto i ngā tūmanako ā-kura kia riterite ai ngā mahi aromatawai. Ka whai hua ngā tamariki i te wā e whakamōhio ana ngā mahi aromatawai papai i ngā whakaritenga whakaako, whakaritenga ako hoki ka whai ake.
I te wā o te arotake Mana Whakahaere, i oati ngā kaiārahi i whāia e rātou ngā huarahi whai take hei whakatutuki i ā rātou herenga ā-ture. I tautuhia ki tēnei aromātai, me tahuri rātou ki te:
whakawhiti kōrero ki te hapori mō te marautanga hauora o te kura
whakapai ake i ngā mahi mō te whakariterite i ngā wā ohotata, me te
āta whakatau i te whiwhinga a te tumuaki i tētahi kirimina e pā ana ki te whakahaere āhua mahi.
5 Te Whakatau a te Poari ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga
I mua i te aromātai, i whakatutukihia e te poari kaitiaki me te tumuaki o te kura he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a te Poari me tētahi Rārangi Arowhai Tātari Whaiaro. I roto i aua tuhinga i oati rātou i whāia e rātou ngā huarahi whai take hei whakatutuki i ā rātou herenga ā-ture e pā ana ki:
ngā whakahaere a te poari
te marautanga
ngā whakahaere mō te hauora, te haumaru, me te oranga tinana
ngā whakahaere o ngā kaimahi.
I te wā o te aromātai, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei, i te mea he nui te pānga o ēnei ki te haumaru me te waiora o ngā ākonga:
te haumaru aronganui o ngā ākonga (tāpiri atu ki te ārai i ngā mahi whakawetiweti me ngā mahi whakaaito)
te haumaru ā-tinana o ngā ākonga
ngā rēhita me ngā tiwhikete a ngā kaiako
te tukanga whakatū kaimahi
te whakaunu, te aukati, te pana me te whakarerenga
te tae ā-tinana atu a ngā ākonga ki te kura
te whakatutukitanga o ngā kaupapa here o te kura i ngā tikanga o te Children's Act 2014 .
Hei whakatutuki i ngā herenga ā-ture, me tahuri rātou ki te:
ū ki te tikanga ki te whakapūmau i tētahi tauākī mō te whakapuakitanga o te marau hauora, i ia rua tau koni atu rānei, whai muri i te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ki te hapori o te kura [s91 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
arotake i te tumuaki i ia tau, mā ngā paerewa ngaio katoa e pā ana ki ngā tumuaki. [ Te Kahiti o Aotearoa me ngā Kirimina mō te Whiwhi Mahi e whai pānga ana]
6 Te Taunakitanga
E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me te tumuaki kia whakatutukihia ngā whakaritenga matua me ngā herenga ā-ture i tautuhia ai kia whāia, kia whakapai ake hoki i roto i te wā e tika ana, hei whakatairanga ake i ngā putanga e whai hua ana ki ngā tamariki.
Tiwana Hibbs Toka ā Nuku Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services
19 Poutūterangi , 2025
7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kura
Te tūwāhi Kei Ōtaki
Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga 2939
Te tūmomo kura He kura tuatahi
Te tokomaha o ngā ākonga o te kura 181
Ngā hononga ā-iwi Māori 92%, Pākehā 4%, Iwi kē 4%
Ngā āhuatanga motuhake Kura Motuhake
Te wā i te kura te rōpū arotake Whiringa-ā-rangi 2024
Te wā o tēnei pūrongo 19 Poutūterangi 2025
Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga Arotake Mātauranga – Mana Whakahaere, Haratua 2023 ; Arotake Mātauranga, Whiringa-ā-rangi 2018 ; Arotake Mātauranga, Hakihea 2015
1 Introduction
The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with whānau , leaders, kaimahi and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability. The ERO reports provides important information for hapū and iwi .
2 Context
Otaki School is situated between the maunga of Tararua and Ōtaki beach. The Ōtaki River and Mangapouri Stream are viewed as providing them with protection and giving them life. They are guided and uplifted by the tikanga of Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga . The school offers bilingual and immersion Māori education to tamariki in Years 1-8.
3 Evaluation Focus
The ERO Mana Whakahaere report found leaders and governors created a positive learning environment where tamariki had opportunities to demonstrate kia Ōtaki te tū as an integral part of their daily experience.
As a result of the Mana Whakahaere evaluation ERO and kura leaders agreed, priorities for development were to:
review and improve assessment practices schoolwide
improve target setting, and
to monitor and report the progress and achievement of those tamariki at risk better.
Leaders and kaiako continue to implement actions that focus on improving these practices.
The focus of this evaluation remained as, how well do tamariki demonstrate kia Ōtaki te tū ?
Tamariki continue to embrace and express the kura value of kia Ōtaki te tu . They participate in a considered curriculum that promotes their sense of belonging, wellbeing and confidence as learners.
4 Mana Tamariki
Te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and te ao Māori are increasingly woven through all aspects of the school’s curriculum. Tamariki learn about and celebrate Te Tiriti o Waitangi and their indigeneity. They develop confidence as speakers of te reo Māori and as future leaders of their hapū and iwi . Weekly and daily teaching plans align to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and The New Zealand Curriculum , and they reflect the desired outcomes of the marau ā-kura . Whanaungatanga practices permeate the kura. Tamariki with additional health or learning needs are supported to engage in meaningful learning alongside others. All tamariki enjoy a breadth of appropriate experiences both in the school and beyond. Interactions are respectful, and positive tuākana teina relationships are evident. Confident tamariki engage in an inclusive curriculum that is increasingly responsive to their interests and needs. Tamariki benefit from culturally responsive practices.
Tamariki learning is enhanced through evidence-based approaches. The focus on improving the teaching and learning of literacy and mathematics and implementing deliberate and specific literacy learning strategies is gaining traction. Classrooms are print rich, suitable and easily accessible resources increasingly stimulate tamariki interest and engagement. Their confidence in themselves as learners is enhanced through the structured literacy approach. Tamariki phonological awareness, progress and mastery is being supported by kaiako who are working toward embedding structured literacy and these explicit, sustained teaching episodes consistently schoolwide. Tamariki are supported to reach their potential.
Internal evaluation, professional collegiality and collaborative inquiry focus on creating a culture conducive to learning that upholds Te Tiriti o Waitangi and embraces te ao Māori . The ‘STAR’ values espouse the school’s expectations for tamariki learning and wellbeing schoolwide, and encourage tamariki to be safe, totally responsible, awesome learner, respectful – be a 'STAR'. However, there is a desire to connect tamariki to mātauranga Māori and for them to learn about, understand, experience and enact the kura mātāpono of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, whakapapa and kaitiakitanga intrinsically. As part of kaiako and leaders' professional growth they are working toward embedding the mātāpono and supporting tamariki to enact and embody the attributes and characteristics defined under each mātāpono. Tamariki enthusiastically engage in a kura culture conducive to learning.
Progress and achievement targets for 2024 aim to reduce disparity in outcomes through deliberately focusing on those tamariki whose progress requires acceleration. The ERO evaluation verified leaders' review of assessment practice as useful. At present they are reviewing assessment practices and tools to be assured they are fit for purpose and inform next steps for teaching and learning. While over half of learners were below their expected literacy levels at the end of 2023, at mid-2024 an increased amount of tamariki were progressing to achieving kura expectations.
Key Next Steps
Assessment practices are currently under review. This evaluation encourages school leaders to complete the review of assessment practices and tools and set school wide expectations for consistent assessment practice. Tamariki benefit when effective assessment practices inform next steps teaching and learning.
At the time of the Mana Whakahaere review, leaders attested to taking all reasonable steps to meet their legislative requirements. This evaluation identified they need to:
consult the community on the kura Health Curriculum
improve practices for preparing for emergencies, and
ensure the tumuaki has a performance management agreement.
5 Assurance on Legal Requirement
Before the review, the board and principal of the school completed the ERO board assurance statement and self-audit checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to the following:
board administration
curriculum
management of health, safety and welfare
personnel management.
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:
emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
physical safety of students
teacher registration and certification
processes for appointing staff
stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
attendance
school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
Actions for Compliance
To meet compliance requirements, they must:
comply with the requirement to adopt a statement of delivery of the health curriculum, at least every two years, after consultation with the school community [Section 91 Education and Training Act 2020]
annually assess the tumuaki against all the professional standards for principals. [New Zealand Education Gazette and relevant Employment Agreement]
6 Recommendation
ERO and the tumuaki recommend addressing the key next steps and areas of non-compliance for further improvement in a timely manner to promote positive outcomes for tamariki .
Tiwana Hibbs Toka ā Nuku - Director Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services
19 March 2025
7 Information about the kura
Location Ōtaki
Ministry of Education profile number 2939
Kura type Primary
Kura roll 181
Ethnic composition Māori 92%, Pākehā 4%, Other 4%
Special features Kura Motuhake
Review team on site November 2024
Date of this report 19 March 2025
Most recent ERO report(s) Education Review - Mana Whakahaere , May 2023; Education Review, November 2018; Education Review, December 2015
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 2 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).