Rakaia School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 195
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Dunford Street, Rakaia
- Territorial authority
- Ashburton District
- Phone
- 03-3027113
- principal@rakaia.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.rakaia.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Canterbury
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 134
- Māori
- 39
- Pacific
- 24
- Asian
- 27
- MELAA
- 8
- 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 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 26 |
| Year 02 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 25 |
| Year 03 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 27 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 29 |
| Year 05 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 06 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 24 |
| Year 07 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 08 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
| Total | 44 | 24 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 130 | 0 | 185 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 18 |
| Age 06 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 30 |
| Age 07 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 28 |
| Age 08 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 30 |
| Age 09 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 17 |
| Age 10 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 11 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 21 |
| Age 12 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 16 |
| Age 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 44 | 24 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 130 | 0 | 185 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
169.8%
| Rakaia School | 169.8% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 142.7% |
|---|---|
| Male | 194.4% |
| Māori | 39% |
| Pacific | 382.2% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 179.5% |
| Total | 169.8% |
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
12%
| Rakaia School | 12% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 24.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 17.3% |
| Total | 12% |
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%
| Rakaia School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| 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)
- 465
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 19 November 1872
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
- 1 June 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (1 June 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 1 June 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.
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 195 — 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 2016
208
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 2 March 2017
June 2013
163
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 6 August 2013
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 1 June 2023 — “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 20 months of the Education Review Office and Rakaia 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
Rakaia School is set back from State Highway 1 on Dunford Street, Rakaia . The school provides education and care to students in Years 1 to 8. The school has a focus on developing students who understand the values of the school and can enter secondary school as confident, numerate, literate and communicative learners.
Rakaia School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
the students will be excited, motivated, happy risk takers driving the school values
the Board of Trustees will effectively govern by providing inspirational direction and culture
the staff will be relationship centred, nurturing and confident. They will collaborate and use real life context
the community will be present, supportive and inclusive, working in partnership.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Rakaia School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively teaching and learning supports equity and excellence in student outcomes.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
consistent curriculum delivery across the school is identified in the strategic plan as a focus for review
to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all ākonga by continuing to strengthen and develop a learner focused partnership
to ensure the Rakaia School Curriculum reflects the whenua , vision, values and aspirations of ākonga and whānau .
The school expects to see:
the strengthening of a consistent approach to curriculum delivery and assessment
a continuing improvement of teacher’s analysis of ākonga progress and achievement data to inform teaching and learning
continued improvement in equitable and excellent outcomes for all ākonga .
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how effectively teaching and learning supports equity and excellence in student outcomes.
An effective and collaborative senior leadership team who identify barriers to learning and put programs in place that will impact positively on student achievement.
An active, supportive board of trustees focused on improving outcomes for all ākonga .
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
the further strengthening of curriculum delivery to ensure greater consistency and coherence in practices across the school
professional development for teachers in data analysis to better inform teaching and learning and improve parity between groups of ākonga .
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
1 June 2023
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).