Ōtorohanga School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 113
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 95 Phillips Avenue, Otorohanga
- Territorial authority
- Ōtorohanga District
- Phone
- 07-8737334
- office@oto.school.nz
- Website
- https://oto.school.nz/
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Waikato
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
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 42
- Māori
- 78
- Pacific
- 13
- Asian
- 6
- MELAA
- 1
- 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 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 02 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Year 03 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 |
| Year 04 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Year 05 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| Year 06 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 07 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 08 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 68 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 90 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 06 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Age 07 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 08 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 11 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| Age 12 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 68 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 90 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
77.5%
| Ōtorohanga School | 77.5% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 53.9% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 54.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 98.3% |
| Māori | 34.1% |
| Pacific | 105.5% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 100.2% |
| Total | 77.5% |
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%
| Ōtorohanga 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 | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Ōtorohanga 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 | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 538
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- Some students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1957
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
- 15 August 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (15 August 2024)
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 15 August 2024 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 113 — 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.
February 2019
53
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 21 May 2019
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 15 August 2024 — “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
Ōtorohanga School is located in the Ōtorohanga district and Ngāti Maniapoto rohe . The school provides education for Years 1-8 in both English and Māori medium. The values of Mana, Aroha, Niwha, Atawhai, Akiaki, Kotahitanga and Ihu Oneone are promoted throughout the school.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: 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 B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Outcomes for learners are becoming more equitable and excellent.
Most learners in reading, and the majority in writing and mathematics, make sustained progress and achieve at the expected curriculum level in reading.
Students identified as requiring additional support, progress and achieve in relation to their individual goals.
Most students attend more than 80% of the time; strengthening whānau relationships is a focus for on-going improvement in attendance.
Conditions to support learner success
Strategic leadership sets responsive goals and targets to improve conditions and outcomes for learners.
Leaders use a wide range of evidence to plan and monitor improvements in learner outcomes.
Strong connections with mana whenua support on-going development of the school’s localised curriculum in which students engage.
Trustees receive useful reports for learners with additional needs that informs decision making for resourcing.
Increasingly responsive teaching practice creates positive and mutually respectful learning environments, that promote student engagement.
Students benefit from relational and affirming teaching practices, alongside well-established learning routines and expectations.
Evidence-based practices, including the use of achievement information, are increasingly used to improve student outcomes.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are increasingly woven into all aspects of the school curriculum design and planning, to support students’ identity, language and culture.
Key conditions, including learner wellbeing, staff collaboration and partnerships are well embedded.
Learners have a positive sense of belonging within an inclusive learning environment.
School-home partnerships continually strengthen, so that supportive networks improve learner engagement, wellbeing, and achievement.
The board represents, serves and works with the school community, including mana whenua .
Learner success and wellbeing
Tamariki are reflecting the narratives of Ōtorohanga through the intentional use of Ngāti Maniapoto tikanga and waiata .
Tamariki learn in an environment that is supportive and culturally responsive.
Tamariki are engaged in a learning environment that encourages quality te reo and mātauranga Māori .
Conditions to support learner success
Kaiako engage iwi representatives of Ngāti Maniapoto for guidance and as cultural advisors.
Relevant aromatawai is used effectively to inform next step teaching and learning.
Pīrongia , the rumaki class, is resourced with one fulltime kaiāwhina to support the wide range of age and learning levels.
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
give priority to the teaching of writing to increase progress and achievement
continue to embed the use of data to respond to learner needs when planning teaching and learning in both English and Māori medium programmes
strengthen student leadership opportunities across the school
leadership and governance actively seek opportunities for professional growth with a focus on gaining deeper insight into sustaining and advancing the Māori medium pathway.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within three months:
provide literacy professional development for staff
continue implementing the school-wide assessment schedule to support teaching planning and practices.
review and identify opportunities for student leadership
identify opportunities for board members to engage in Māori medium professional development
Every six months:
continue to review the implementation plan and scrutinise the data to identify shifts in teaching practice, and student progress and achievement, so that next steps in teaching and learning programmes are well informed
use moderation processes school-wide to ensure the robust implementation of the assessment schedule; support teachers to reflect on their practice and identify areas for improvement
gather student voice to identify areas of student leadership that have been strengthened and areas that need to be further developed and nurtured
board members engage with Māori medium professional development
Annually:
continue to report to the board student attendance and progress and achievement in writing, reading and mathematics to show the impact of changes to teaching and learning programmes
review the impact of professional development and the use of data to inform teaching and learning programmes to improve student outcomes for target students
review progress of student leadership opportunities and the impact on student progress and wellbeing
revisit the needs and requirements of learners within Māori medium to inform decision making.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
increased progress and achievement in literacy for all students
teaching practices that are high quality and responsive to the needs of a diverse range of students
students reporting increased leadership roles and responsibilities through the school
informed decision making around the specialised needs of Māori Medium education.
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
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
15 August 2024
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 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).