South Otago High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · State
- Year levels
- 9–13
- Total roll
- 498
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Frances Street, Rosebank, Balclutha
- Territorial authority
- Clutha District
- Phone
- 03-4180517
- principal@sohs.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.sohs.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Otago
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
Not stated on the school’s website.
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.
- International students
- Accepted, as stated
SOHS accepts fee paying and also exchange students from international organisations.
- Accepted, as stated
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
- Te Kapa Haka o Iwi Katea
Te Kapa Haka o Iwi Katea is our performing arts group that attracts students from all age groups.
- Maori Mentoring group
We have a Maori Mentoring group made up of interested students who promote the values and integrity of the Maori culture and language to the rest of the school.
- Te Kapa Haka o Iwi Katea
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 350
- Māori
- 85
- Pacific
- 48
- Asian
- 48
- MELAA
- 19
- Other
- 3
- International
- 5
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 09 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 77 | 1 | 101 |
| Year 10 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 116 |
| Year 11 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 116 |
| Year 12 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 4 | 98 |
| Year 13+ | 9 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 93 |
| Total | 86 | 43 | 48 | 12 | 2 | 383 | 5 | 524 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 13 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 66 | 1 | 81 |
| Age 14 | 18 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 82 | 0 | 115 |
| Age 15 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 82 | 2 | 113 |
| Age 16 | 20 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 75 | 1 | 107 |
| Age 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 1 | 79 |
| Age 18 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 19+ | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 86 | 43 | 48 | 12 | 2 | 383 | 5 | 524 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
88.3%
| South Otago High School | 88.3% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 90.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 88% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 92.1% |
|---|---|
| Male | 84.6% |
| Māori | 82.4% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 86.7% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 90.3% |
| Total | 88.3% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 1 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or above — 2025
81.3%
| South Otago High School | 81.3% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 84.8% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 81% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 87.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 75.4% |
| Māori | 70.6% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 80% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 83.9% |
| Total | 81.3% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 2 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 3 or above — 2025
51.6%
| South Otago High School | 51.6% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 65.5% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 61.8% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 60.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 43.1% |
| Māori | 47.1% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 66.7% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 55.9% |
| Total | 51.6% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
13.3%
| South Otago High School | 13.3% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 20.4% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 15.2% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 20.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | 6.2% |
| Māori | 11.8% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 6.7% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 16.1% |
| Total | 13.3% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison Vocational Pathway data (2023-2025)
Retention
Percentage staying until at least 17th birthday — 2025
78.9%
| South Otago High School | 78.9% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 85.3% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 83.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 84.1% |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.8% |
| Māori | 76.5% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 86.7% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 78.5% |
| Total | 78.9% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
53.7%
| South Otago High School | 53.7% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 35.8% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 29.8% |
|---|---|
| Male | 79.8% |
| Māori | 36.1% |
| Pacific | 106.9% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 55.1% |
| Total | 53.7% |
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
22.5%
| South Otago High School | 22.5% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 4.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 4% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 9.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 37% |
| Māori | 70.7% |
| Pacific | 21.5% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 87% |
| European/Pākehā | 14.6% |
| Total | 22.5% |
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
4.8%
| South Otago High School | 4.8% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 2% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 2.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 7.7% |
| Māori | 20.2% |
| Pacific | 12.8% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 4.8% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 475
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 7 February 1926
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
- 5
- Last reviewed
- 28 February 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (28 February 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 28 February 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 498 — 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 2018
481
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 19 July 2018
September 2014
492
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 2 February 2015
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 28 February 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 six months of the Education Review Office and South Otago High 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
South Otago High School is a Years 9 to 13 co-educational secondary school in the rural town of Balclutha. The school’s vision for its learners is learning with respect, excellence and perseverance | Kia manawanui, Kia Hiranga, Kia Manawa titi .
South Otago High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
to continue to raise the engagement of all students
targeting student learning at Years 9 and 10 through inquiry and differentiation
to provide engaging learning opportunities for all students through online as well as face-to-face teaching.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on South Otago High School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum design and implementation in relation to mātauranga Māori and differentiation (adapting programmes to better meet each students’ needs).
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is the school:
has strategically focused on improving teaching strategies that meet the needs of all learners
wants to give full effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the changing New Zealand environment.
The school expects to see:
teachers consistently using a range of strategies to meet the needs of all learners
equity of opportunity and outcomes for all students with a particular focus for Māori learners.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to have a curriculum that reflects mātauranga Māori and differentiation.
The ways in which staff work together to contribute to the school wide focus on positive engagement and raising student achievement.
Its increasing success in embedding an environment that is inclusive and respectful, supporting greater engagement in learning.
The progress teachers have made catering to the diverse needs of learners in their classrooms.
A curriculum that is flexible and responsive, aligning well to the needs and interests of senior students and their pathways beyond school.
The strengthening of the school’s te ao Māori curriculum reflects its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi .
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
professional development and learning for staff in relation to mātauranga Māori as an integral part of teaching and learning programmes
continuing to explore and extend powerful educational partnerships that meet the cultural and academic needs of its students
deep analysis of all relevant information (including achievement and progress data) so that programmes and teaching are better targeted to meet the needs of those students at risk of not achieving.
K athy Lye Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting, Southern) Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
28 February 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 5 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).