St Joseph's School (Waitara)
Full Primary · State : Integrated
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 91
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 21 Nelson Street, Waitara
- Territorial authority
- New Plymouth District
- Phone
- 06-7547797
- office@sjw.school.nz
- Website
- not reported
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in New Plymouth · schools in Taranaki
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 68
- Māori
- 48
- Pacific
- 6
- Asian
- 14
- MELAA
- 0
- 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 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 02 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 03 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 05 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 06 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Year 07 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 08 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| Total | 32 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 73 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 06 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 07 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 08 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 09 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 |
| Age 10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 12 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 14 |
| Total | 32 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 73 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
23.6%
| St Joseph's School (Waitara) | 23.6% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 41.7% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State : Integrated | 16.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 43.6% |
| Māori | 61.1% |
| Pacific | 519.7% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 34.1% |
| Total | 23.6% |
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%
| St Joseph's School (Waitara) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 4.1% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State : Integrated | 1.6% |
| 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%
| St Joseph's School (Waitara) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 1.6% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State : Integrated | 0.5% |
| 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)
- 510
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 4 February 1912
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
- 3
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (25 October 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 board assurance report of 25 October 2024 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 91 — 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.
August 2017
119
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 27 September 2017
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 25 October 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
St Joseph’s School ( Waitara ) is an integrated Catholic school that provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school’s Christian character is central to teaching, learning and school operation and enacted through its values of Whanaungatanga (Relationships/Community), Aroha (Respect/Reconciliation/Love), Kaitiakitanga , (Responsibility/Guardianship) and Aumangea (Resilience). A new principal started at the beginning of 2023.
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 school is working towards equitable and excellent outcomes for all students.
The majority of learners progress well and achieve at the expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; there is identified disparity for boys and Māori learners.
Learners experience a positive and inclusive school environment that supports their sense of belonging.
Regular attendance is significantly below the Ministry of Education’s targets; improving and maintaining attendance is a priority for school leaders.
Conditions to support learner success
School leadership is strengthening relational trust and embedding the conditions necessary for effective teaching and learning.
Leadership sets and pursues a small number of improvement targets including the acceleration of progress for learners at risk of not achieving.
Leaders are developing more structured and coordinated systems to better identify and support all learners’ needs.
Leaders increasingly involve whānau and mana whenua in sharing their aspirations for learner outcomes; this information supports school decision making.
The school is taking steps to provide a responsive curriculum and consistently high-quality teaching practice.
Learners have orderly classes where respect between learners and teachers is evident; clear expectations result in calm learning environments.
Teachers are establishing a shared understanding of consistent and robust assessment practices to better understand and meet the needs of each learner.
Learners needing additional support are increasingly provided with evidenced-based interventions to improve their progress and achievement.
The school is taking steps to develop and align systems, structures and practices to bring about improved learner achievement and progress over time.
Staff engage in relevant, ongoing professional development opportunities that effectively support learners, including those with different learning needs so that they experience success in their learning.
Leaders and teachers are strengthening programmes and practices to promote learners’ wellbeing and engagement in learning.
The board increasingly represents, serves and works with the school community to develop the school’s vision, values, strategic direction and improvement goals related to learner wellbeing, achievement and progress.
The school board is beginning to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through developing partnerships with Māori whānau and mana whenua to support learner outcomes.
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
continue to implement and review the effectiveness of strategies and initiatives to improve attendance
continue to develop consistent, effective and responsive literacy teaching practices that support improved learner outcomes, especially for boys and Māori learners in writing
embed consistent assessment practices across the school
complete the development of and implement, a coherent, localised curriculum.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
undertake a data-informed review of writing; prioritise and plan for students who require further learning support
develop a responsive implementation plan to guide teacher professional learning focused on strengthening learner engagement, achievement and acceleration in writing
use attendance data to identify and implement targeted strategies to improve students’ attendance.
Every six months:
closely monitor and evaluate progress in improving attendance and achievement outcomes in writing for all learners
plan and implement professional learning opportunities to enhance teachers’ knowledge in the teaching and learning of writing
teachers use assessment information to evaluate their teaching practice, adapt and respond to individual needs and identify next steps in students’ learning
review assessment procedures to ensure valid and reliable information is gathered to guide teaching and learning practices.
Annually:
analyse and report school-wide attendance and achievement data to the board and strategically plan actions to improve learner outcomes, with a focus on reducing disparity for boys and Māori learners
evaluate the impact of teaching and assessment practices on students' progress and achievement in writing, and use this analysis to inform subsequent steps
evaluate and refine the local curriculum, so it continues to respond to community aspirations and learners’ interests and needs
review teaching, learning and curriculum initiatives to ensure consistency of practice.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
more students attending school regularly
an increased number of students achieving curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, with reduced disparity for boys and Māori learners
consistent, effective and responsive teaching, learning and assessment practices across the school, leading to improved achievement outcomes for all learners especially in writing
an embedded localised curriculum that reflects community aspirations and learner interests and needs.
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
25 October 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 3 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).