Riverdale School (Gisborne)
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 148
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 324 Stout Street, Gisborne
- Territorial authority
- Gisborne District
- Phone
- 06-8685468
- admin@riverdalegis.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Gisborne
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
It consists of a navy and red poloshirt with our name and logo on, and a navy polarfleece with our name and logo on.
- Required
- Getting there
- Koka Kay drives the school van for the morning and afternoon runs. To find out the van route and designated times for drop off and pick up come and see her at the school office.
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
- Kia kaha te mahi! Be Brave and Work Hard!
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 30
- Māori
- 123
- Pacific
- 8
- Asian
- 7
- 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 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 02 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 |
| Year 03 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 29 |
| Year 04 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 05 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 06 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Year 07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 109 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 133 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 06 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 07 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 08 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 |
| Age 09 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 25 |
| Age 10 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Age 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 109 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 133 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
21.1%
| Riverdale School (Gisborne) | 21.1% |
|---|---|
| Gisborne Region | 31.7% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 73.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 118.1% |
| Total | 21.1% |
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
40.5%
| Riverdale School (Gisborne) | 40.5% |
|---|---|
| Gisborne Region | 3.3% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 57.3% |
| Māori | 52.2% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 40.5% |
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
39%
| Riverdale School (Gisborne) | 39% |
|---|---|
| Gisborne Region | 0.8% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 56% |
| Māori | 50.2% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 39% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 552
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 2 February 1958
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 August 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (1 August 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 same report — the board assurance report of 1 August 2023 — 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:
adopted a statement on the delivery of the Health Curriculum after consultation with school’s community
[Section 91 Education and Training Act 2020].
The board has since taken steps to address the area of non-compliance identified.
For further information please contact Riverdale School (Gisborne), School Board.
The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.
Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
1 August 2023
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 148 — 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.
March 2016
167
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 10 June 2016
March 2013
145
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 17 May 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 August 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 24 months of the Education Review Office and Riverdale School (Gisborne) 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
Riverdale School is located in Gisborne and provides education for learners in years 1 to 6. The school has a special needs unit for students with high and complex learning needs.
The vision: Enjoyment by all – Believe in yourself and the values; be caring, be honest, be respectful and be an active learner, inform all aspects of school life.
Riverdale School (Gisborne)’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
develop an effective and cohesive learning team
build a positive environment where everyone is proud to be connected to Riverdale School
celebrate ALL success.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Riverdale School (Gisborne)’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the use of trauma informed practice is responding to individual learner’s wellbeing and learning needs and improving achievement outcomes for all students.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
leaders have identified that the impact of trauma in many students’ lives is affecting their ability to actively engage in learning
teachers acknowledge that they need more support to strengthen their capability and capacity to respond to the behaviour, wellbeing and learning needs of individual students to accelerate their learning and promote greater equity.
The school expects to see:
teachers using trauma informed practice to respond to the wellbeing and learning needs of students
learners able to self-regulate and successfully engage in learning
improved progress and achievement for all learners particularly those most at risk
a reduction in the number of stand downs for extreme behaviour.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how effectively the use of trauma informed practice is responding to individual learner’s wellbeing and learning needs and improving achievement outcomes for all students:
commitment by staff to strengthening their practice to respond to the diverse needs of learners
a school culture that celebrates success for all
deliberate actions to engage parents and whānau in the life of the school.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
professional development to build teacher’s capability and capacity in the use of trauma informed practice
building a shared understanding by all staff of the impact of trauma on learners with high and complex learning needs
continuing to engage with whānau in ways that allows them to support their children’s learning and wellbeing
continuing to gather and analyse attendance and behaviour data for trends and patterns.
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 August 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).