Ruawai Primary School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 96
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 4376 State Highway 12, Ruawai
- Territorial authority
- Kaipara District
- Phone
- 09-4392307
- admin@ruawai.school.nz
- Website
- http://ruawai.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Northland
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
Our uniform consists of navy blue or black shorts or skirt, a school polo shirt and a jacket.
- Required
- Term dates
- Term 1, 2026: 29 January – 2 April
29 January 2026 - School opens for students 2 April 2026 - Last day of Term One
- Term 2, 2026: 20 April – 3 July
20 April 2026 - Term Two starts 3 July 2026 - Last day of Term Two
- Term 3, 2026: 20 July – 25 September
20 July 2026 - Term Three starts 25 September 2026 - Last day of Term Three
- Term 4, 2026: 12 October – 10 December
12 October 2026 - Term Four starts 10 December 2026 - Last day of Term Four
- Term 1, 2026: 29 January – 2 April
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
- Ruawai Primary is on a mission – Whakamana akoranga – Empowering learning. We strive to provide a curriculum that values all cultures and is centred around each of our learner’s passions and interests.
- The keystones to everything we do at Ruawai Primary is based on our three values; RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & RESILIENCE
What is on offer beyond the classroom?
The sports, arts, clubs and groups this school names on its own website. Not a complete list of what any school offers, and not a count — a school that names more here has written more down, which is not the same as doing more.
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.
- On offer
- Kapa Haka rōpū
The Ruawai Primary Kapa Haka rōpū has learners ranging from Years 0 to Year 6.
- Kapa Haka rōpū
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 67
- Māori
- 41
- Pacific
- 8
- Asian
- 1
- MELAA
- 1
- Other
- 1
- 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 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 02 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 03 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 15 |
| Year 04 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 20 |
| Year 05 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 15 |
| Year 06 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 0 | 109 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 18 |
| Age 06 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 17 |
| Age 07 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 16 |
| Age 08 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| Age 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 0 | 109 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
22.7%
| Ruawai Primary School | 22.7% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 52% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 49.2% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 270.5% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 22.7% |
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%
| Ruawai Primary School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 6.5% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| 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%
| Ruawai Primary School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 2.7% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| 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)
- 501
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 25 January 1928
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
- 8 June 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (8 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 8 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 96 — 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 2017
103
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 8 June 2017
March 2014
86
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 28 April 2014
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 8 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 18 months of the Education Review Office and Ruawai Primary 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
Ruawai Primary School is a rural school in the Kaipara District, Northland. It provides education for local students from years 1 – 6. A new principal was appointed in term four 2019. The school is focussed on empowering learners who are engaged, connected and ever-growing.
Ruawai Primary School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
grow kaiako as learners: revitalise the local curriculum with a focus on numeracy and literacy
grow learner capability: develop curious intuitive problem solvers, through authentic learning experiences
grow community: school partnership; establish regular whānau days that are community friendly and develop a school ‘give back’ programme for the community.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Ruawai Primary School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively the literacy programme is enabling all tamariki to accelerate their progress in literacy.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
raise achievement for all learners
focus on the impact that professional development in literacy is having on outcomes for all learners.
The school expects to see:
learners confidently achieving in their reading and writing programmes
improved outcomes in literacy for all learners
staff confident in their teaching practice in reading and writing.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to evaluate how effectively the literacy programme is accelerating progress for all learners. The school has:
a community passionate for their children to be empowered learners
a board focussed resourcing initiatives that support teaching and learning aimed at improving outcomes for all learners
leadership and a teaching team committed to enacting the school’s vision.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
professional learning development that supports effective teacher practice
teachers who use specific strategies that accelerate student achievement
learners knowing where they are at and their next learning steps
specialist teaching that strengthens targeted progress for groups of learners.
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
8 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).