Pongaroa School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 49
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 9 Makomako Street, Pongaroa
- Territorial authority
- Tararua District
- Phone
- 06-3762703
- office@pongaroa.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Manawatū-Whanganui
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 33
- Māori
- 28
- Pacific
- 3
- Asian
- 0
- 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 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| Year 02 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 03 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Year 05 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Year 06 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Year 07 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 08 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Total | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 60 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| Age 06 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 9 |
| Age 07 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 08 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Age 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 60 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Pongaroa School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 45.5% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Pongaroa School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 6.2% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Pongaroa School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 2.8% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 485
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural settlement
- Date opened
- 25 January 1897
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
- 7 March 2024
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (7 March 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 7 March 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 49 — 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.
September 2018
58
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 6 November 2018
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 7 March 2024 — “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 12 months of the Education Review Office and Pongaroa School 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
Pongaroa School is situated in the Tararua District, near the eastern coast and educates learners in Years 1 to 8. The adjacent beaches and the local farming area provides additional contexts for learning.
Pongaroa School ’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to experience a rich and responsive curriculum that:
empowers students through an integrated approach while focused on reading, writing and mathematics
promotes and supports hauora (well-being) in a positive learning environment
Is rich in cultural experiences that further develop te reo me ono tikanga Māori
develops a sense of kaitiakitanga - caring for the local environment and developing a sense of guardianship for this.
You can obtain a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan from the school office. School families can log on to Pongaroa School’s website to obtain a copy.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively revised and new strategies are in strengthening the teaching of literacy. This should raise student achievement in reading and writing and enable students to better access the curriculum.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is a need to:
improve student outcomes in reading and writing
raise achievement across the school
enhance the ability of all students to access and succeed across the wider curriculum.
The school expects to see increased engagement and achievement in reading and writing. It also expects improved reading capability to allow students to better access all areas of the local curriculum.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to improve student outcomes in reading:
a wide range of curriculum opportunities that offer students a variety of avenues to engage in learning and to succeed.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
improving teacher practice in the teaching of reading and writing to better enable students to engage in the school’s local curriculum
revise and refine the school’s assessment practices to increase its accuracy and to better identify the next steps for student learning. This should also support a rise in student engagement and result in improved opportunities for learning.
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
7 March 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).