South Auckland Middle School
Restricted Composite (Year 7-10) · State
- Year levels
- 7–10
- Total roll
- 180
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 198 Mahia Road, Manurewa, Auckland
- Territorial authority
- Manurewa Local Board Area
- Phone
- 09-2666695
- admin@southauckland.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Auckland
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.
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
- Showing care for ourselves, others and our environment.
- Having the courage to learn, take risks and grow.
- Believing in ourselves, each other and the potential we all have to succeed.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 29
- Māori
- 38
- Pacific
- 107
- Asian
- 40
- MELAA
- 5
- 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 07 | 7 | 29 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 45 |
| Year 08 | 10 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 45 |
| Year 09 | 17 | 26 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 49 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 40 |
| Total | 43 | 112 | 39 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 179 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Age 11 | 5 | 27 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 41 |
| Age 12 | 11 | 28 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 43 |
| Age 13 | 12 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 44 |
| Age 14 | 10 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 37 |
| Age 15 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 |
| Total | 43 | 112 | 39 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 179 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
9.1%
| South Auckland Middle School | 9.1% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 29.7% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 43.4% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 18.9% |
| Māori | 23.9% |
| Pacific | 4.9% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 9.1% |
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%
| South Auckland Middle School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 3% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 4.6% |
| 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%
| South Auckland Middle School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 1.4% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 2% |
| 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)
- 488
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 23 January 2019
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
- 19 November 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (19 November 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 19 November 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:
an average of five hours per week of mathematics teaching and learning to be implemented for learners in Years 7 and 8 [Section 90 of the Education and Training Act 2020 (2023 Amendment)]
non-teaching staff authorised to use physical restraint must be notified in writing [Education and Training Act 2020, s. 101, 5. (3) The employer must give the employee a copy of the authorisation]
two further non-teaching staff authorised to use physical restraint must complete training in appropriate physical holds by accredited physical restraint practitioners [Education and Training Act 2020, s. 101, 12. (c) teachers that the employer identifies as having a high likelihood of needing to use physical restraint are trained in appropriate physical holds by accredited physical restraint practitioners]
the board’s child protection policy must contain provisions on identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect [Vulnerable Children Act 2014, sections 18 and 19]
safety checking of employees must include identity confirmation by a primary and secondary identity document [Vulnerable Children Act 2014, and regulation 5 of the Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015] .
The board has since taken steps to address the following areas of non-compliance identified:
an average of five hours per week of mathematics teaching and learning must be implemented for learners in Years 7 and 8
non-teaching staff authorised to use physical restraint must be notified in writing
safety checking of employees must include identity confirmation by a primary and secondary identity document
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 180 — 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.
May 2021
180
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 23 June 2021
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 19 November 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
South Auckland Middle School is a Years 7 to 10, designated character school in Manurewa . The school has a Christian philosophy underpinned by an integrated, project-based curriculum and the school values of respect, faith and confidence.
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
The majority of students are engaged, make good progress and outcomes for learners are improving.
The majority of students achieve at or above curriculum expectations for reading and writing; slightly less than half of students achieve expectations for mathematics.
The school has yet to raise male students’ achievement to the same level as other students.
The majority of students attend regularly; leaders and teachers use well-considered approaches to strive to reach the Ministry of Education’s rising national target for regular attendance.
Learners experience an environment that is increasingly supportive as practices that promote inclusion and wellbeing are strengthened to help students feel connected and that they belong.
Conditions to support learner success
Leadership fosters a culture committed to high quality teaching, and equity and excellence in learner outcomes.
Leaders build their vision into a tailored localised curriculum, with individualised programmes focused on developing student independence and ownership of learning.
Leaders develop trusting relationships within the school community, facilitating strong learning partnerships with families to improve outcomes for learners.
Coherent strategic and annual planning identifies student-centred priorities and goals that include community perspectives.
The school’s local curriculum is implemented through tailored systems and processes.
Leaders facilitate teachers’ understanding of shared expectations, teaching approaches and strategies.
Staff know learners well; they work collaboratively in small classes within whānau -based structures to remove barriers and purposefully engage learners to improve outcomes.
Learners have increased opportunities to learn and experience an integrated curriculum that supports their cultural identity: they learn in an orderly and well-resourced environment.
Collaborative leadership drives continuous improvement of the school’s strategic priorities and plans.
Learning programmes and interventions are increasingly personalised to meet student’s different learning needs; targeted support is in place and learners with additional and complex needs are well supported.
Leaders are strengthening their use of data analysis to improve teaching and learning programmes, including regular monitoring and reporting of student progress and achievement for improved outcomes.
Learner success and wellbeing is the focus of school-home interactions; fostering collaborative relationships and learning partnerships that support learners' connections to the school. The school gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through partnerships with Ngāti Tamaoho , providing learners with opportunities to use te reo Māori and to experience te ao Māori .
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
revise the provision for mathematics to ensure sufficient time is allocated, and continue evaluating the teaching approaches used
further strengthen quality teaching that improves achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly for boys
sustain the focus on improving regular attendance to meet the Ministry of Education target
continue to strengthen student and staff capability in te reo Māori and further embed mātauranga Māori into the curriculum.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within three months:
revise the provision for mathematics and adjust timetables accordingly to ensure requirements are met.
Every six months:
further develop and refine effective teaching strategies to improve achievement outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics
strengthen data analysis capabilities across the school, track and monitor achievement data and review whether improvements are producing expected results
continue to develop and review effective approaches to improve attendance of learners
continue implementing initiatives and programmes that improve confidence and capability in te reo Māori and te ao Māori.
Annually:
regularly use achievement data to inform review of the teaching strategies that have the most impact on reading, writing and mathematics, and adjust future planning and implementation accordingly
expand on reporting to the board on reading, writing and mathematics progress and other achievement outcomes, with added analysis to show long-term progress on previous years.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
improved student achievement outcomes for all, especially in mathematics and for males
higher rates of regular student attendance
increased use of te reo Māori and inclusion of te ao Māori across the school.
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
19 November 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).