Rahotu School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 124
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 5825 South Road, Rahotu
- Territorial authority
- South Taranaki District
- Phone
- 06-7638658
- admin@rahotu.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.rahotu.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Taranaki
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
Polo Shirt - Black/White with wording 4 – 16yrs S – 5XL
- Required
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
- We, students and teachers, are all ākonga (learners). We strive to do our very best in all that we do. We encourage learning through our passions, our interests and our local environment (taiao). Everything we do is to enact our school vision...
- "Igniting our Passion for Learning"
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 106
- Māori
- 57
- Pacific
- 2
- Asian
- 5
- 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 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 02 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| Year 03 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 05 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 06 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 21 |
| Year 07 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| Year 08 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 67 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 0 | 140 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 06 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| Age 07 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 19 |
| Age 08 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 09 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Age 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 67 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 0 | 140 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
42.1%
| Rahotu School | 42.1% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 41.7% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 37.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 47.2% |
| Māori | 64.8% |
| Pacific | 206% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 15.8% |
| Total | 42.1% |
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%
| Rahotu School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 4.1% |
| 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 | 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%
| Rahotu School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 1.6% |
| 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 | 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)
- 503
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 27 January 2005
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
- 4
- Last reviewed
- 2 December 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (2 December 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 same report — the board assurance report of 2 December 2024 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.
ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
renew police vets for non-teaching staff every three years. [schedule 104 Education and Training Act 2020]
The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
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 124 — 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.
June 2019
156
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 19 August 2019
April 2016
142
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 23 June 2016
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 2 December 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
Rahotu School is located on the Surf Highway, south of New Plymouth. The school provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is ‘Igniting our passion for learning’ and is underpinned by the values of ‘family, learning, aroha, manaaki and excellence – F.L.A.M.E.’
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 show continuous improvement over time.
A large majority of learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
Achieving equity for groups of learners, particularly for boys, and for Māori in writing is a priority.
Learners with additional needs are effectively catered for in programmes designed to support their learning progress and achievement.
The Ministry of Education target for regular attendance is yet to be achieved as just over half of students attend regularly; leaders and teachers apply a range of well-considered approaches focused on improving the attendance rates of learners.
Conditions to support learner success
L eaders work well strategically to improve outcomes for learners.
Leaders are embedding systems and processes to achieve improvement priorities and meet the needs of learners.
A strong school culture of collaboration and trust promotes high expectations for teaching practice and learner success.
Leaders regularly use information from a range of sources to evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives designed to improve outcomes for learners.
Teaching is increasingly intentional and responsive to the needs of all learners.
Teachers and staff consistently implement evidence-based learning programmes that assist students to make ongoing progress with their learning.
Curriculum planning and scheduling prioritises reading, writing and mathematics teaching to effectively support improvement in learning outcomes.
Students have an extensive range of opportunities and experiences in which to participate and apply new learning.
Well established key organisational conditions prioritise student wellbeing, progress and learning.
Positive relationships between teachers and students, aligned to the school’s values, create inclusive learning-centred classrooms.
Parents and whānau receive relevant information about their child’s progress and achievement and have many opportunities to share their knowledge and contribute to learning outcomes.
Information provided to the board ensures resourcing decisions align with agreed priorities and drive school improvement strategies and actions.
Reciprocal education connections with whānau, hapū and iwi facilitate the weaving of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori through the curriculum, supporting knowledge building and learner outcomes.
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
embed agreed teaching, learning and assessment practices to improve achievement outcomes and strengthen equity for boys and Māori
adopt a systematic evidence-based process to evaluate school improvement initiatives and monitor their impact on learner outcomes
increase and sustain rates of regular student attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
implement the schoolwide plan to guide assessment practices
work alongside parents and whānau to assist understanding about the importance of regular attendance and the correlation between attendance and academic progress and achievement
Every six months:
use evidence such as teacher observation, student voice and learning outcomes to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of programmes to support ongoing progress and achievement for learners
report rates of regular student attendance and the impact of the school’s initiatives to increase attendance to the board, parents and whānau
Annually:
report on the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment practices in improving equity and outcomes for learners to inform future planning decisions.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
improved levels of attendance, progress and achievement for all learners
strengthened internal evaluation capabilities and a shared understanding of teaching, learning and assessment practices that support improved outcomes for learners.
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
2 December 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 4 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).