Tamariki School
Full Primary · State : Integrated
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 49
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 86 St John's Street, Woolston, Christchurch
- Territorial authority
- Christchurch City
- Phone
- 03-3849014
- admin@tamariki.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Christchurch · schools in Canterbury
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.
- Special character
- Providing an education along the lines of the principles developed by A.S. Neill, the essential elements of which are:
- - A value for emotional, physical, spiritual and social, as well as intellectual, development.
- - A value for group involvement.
- - A value for trust, co-operation and emotional health.
- - A respect for individual learning rates and patterns.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 44
- Māori
- 10
- Pacific
- 4
- Asian
- 5
- 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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Year 02 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 03 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 04 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Year 05 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 06 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 08 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Total | 12 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 51 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 06 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 07 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 08 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 09 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 |
| Age 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Total | 12 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 51 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
93.5%
| Tamariki School | 93.5% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State : Integrated | 16.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 140.6% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 1003.5% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 93.5% |
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%
| Tamariki School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| 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 | 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%
| Tamariki School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| 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 | 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)
- 464
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 6 September 1967
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
- 10 October 2025
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (13 December 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 13 December 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:
The board, leaders and teachers should ensure that all aspects of the New Zealand Curriculum are part of the Tamariki School Curriculum and regularly reviewed.
[ Section 127(1 and 2) Education and Training Act 2020 ]
The board must ensure that the school’s principal and staff monitor and evaluate the performance of students in relation to curriculum requirements and that this information is appropriately communicated to their parents.
[ Section 165 Education and Training Act 2020 ]
The board should ensure its governance framework contains current policies and procedures that meet regulations, are regularly reviewed and are fit for purpose. The board must maintain an on-going programme of self-review in relation to policies, procedures, plans and processes.
[ Section 125(2) Education and Training Act 2020 ]
Systems for the management and recording/administering of medication have recently been improved. The board should continue to monitor the use and analysis of these.
[ Management and recording of medication Good practice ]
Students should practice what to do in the event of an earthquake if they are at school. All records of emergency practices should be accessible. The school’s preparation and recording systems for traumatic incidents, evacuations and lockdowns should improve and records of these should be readily accessible.
[ National Civil Defence Emergency Plan Order 2015; Good practice ]
The board has not yet fully addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 10 October 2025 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 8
It provides education for 49 learners in Years 1 to 8
- Years 1 to 8
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 49 — 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.
November 2017
59
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 18 January 2018
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 10 October 2025 — “School Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School 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.
Every New Zealand state and state integrated school has an ERO review at least once every four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.
About the School
Tamariki School is a state integrated special character school located in Christchurch. It provides education for 49 learners in Years 1 to 8. A large majority identify as Pākehā | New Zealand European, with small number of Māori and Pacific Island students.
The school’s motto is Know Thyself. Its philosophy is centred on emotional wellbeing as the basis for cognitive, social and physical development and on all learners being able to make decisions about how, what and when they learn.
Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement, school enrolments and school zones. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
An explanation of the terms and judgements used in this report can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
Improvement and progress
This section is about the progress the school has made since the December 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.
Expected improvements
ERO and the school have been working together to evaluate the impact of teacher assessment and reporting for learning. The school expected to see the development of clear expectations for student progressions across the breadth of the school curriculum that align well with the New Zealand Curriculum.
Findings
Leaders and teachers have worked collaboratively to make positive progress in developing, gathering and understanding the use of quality assessment to support progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics . Teachers are developing their use of assessment to better target their approaches.
The School Board and staff are developing a better understanding of the critical role of progress and achievement data for individual students and how this information can be used to target teaching and interventions and establish strategic improvement priorities. This includes the key role of annual improvement planning to support improved school performance for its learners.
What we know about learner success
This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.
How well are learners succeeding? The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.
What is the quality of teaching and learning? The school is improving teaching and learning.
How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs? Learners have some opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a variable focus on supporting learners to gain skills in literacy and mathematics. Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.
How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement? The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.
How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? The school reasonably promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners? The school reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress. The school responds well to a wide range of information gathered through community consultation, to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.
Student Health and Safety The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.
Achievement in Years 0 to 8
This section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.
Less than a third Less than half Small majority Large majority Most Almost all
0 to 33% 34 to 49% 50 to 64% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%
Reading A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.
Less than a third of learners attend school regularly.
The school is significantly behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is developing a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is reducing over time.
Assessment
This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.
The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Teachers are developing assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
Progress
This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.
The school is developing good quality teacher and schoolwide planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
Since the previous review, the school has to some extent improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving.
The school has to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels.
The school is making some progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
Support
During the course of this review ERO had concerns about the quality of education being provided and made recommendations to the Ministry of Education to provide tailored support to improve the quality of teaching and lift student outcomes.
Next steps for improvement
This section provides more detail for the school to include in its strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. It outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.
Areas of Strength
The recently appointed principal is increasing the focus on setting a clear strategic direction to improve learner outcomes. School leaders and teachers support students to lead their learning by following their individual passions and interests.
Recent analysis of student assessment and attendance data is establishing a better understanding of students’ achievement. Leaders and teachers continue to develop targeted responses to the data to accelerate learners progress and achievement.
Teachers are gaining a better understanding of the use of structured literacy to increase student achievement through targeted staff professional development.
The school recently made significant progress in lifting students’ regular attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism from very low levels. This focus is ongoing.
The school is reviewing its student driven curriculum design to better meet Government requirements in reading, writing and mathematics and coverage of the national curriculum within its special character.
Key priorities
Improve progress and achievement in writing and mathematics, increasing equity of outcomes for all students.
Strengthen the consistent use of assessment tools and practices to support effective planning to meet learners’ individual needs.
Connect with wider professional education networks to meet Government priorities within the school’s special character context.
Improve regular attendance and reduce chronic absences through targeted planning and action.
Actions to bring about improvement
Within three months:
leaders plan for and begin to implement teacher professional development in mathematics and writing
leaders and teachers strengthen and confidently use assessment tools and practices to better target teaching practices
leaders and teachers clearly communicate attendance expectations and further embed systems to increase regular student attendance
Within six months
leaders and teachers embed schoolwide use of assessment tools and practices to support improved teaching and learning
leaders and teachers build wider connections and relationships with wider professional and education networks
leaders extend and embed wider professional and education sector relationships at all levels of the school
Every six months:
leaders and teachers monitor and analyse student progress achievement in mathematics and writing and implement changes to improve outcomes where necessary
leaders and teachers review and report on the impact of attendance systems and planning and adjust as necessary
leaders and teachers review the use and effect of assessment practices on programme planning and outcomes for students
Annually:
the School Board and leaders review student achievement data and information to ascertain what is working to improve outcomes and reduce disparity to guide next steps
leaders ensure ongoing positive and professional relationships and networking supports school planning and improvement actions
the School Board and leaders review processes and strategies implemented to improve regular attendance and plan for further improvement.
Expected outcomes
Improved learner’s progress and achievement through effective literacy and mathematics teaching.
The School Board and leaders will monitor and report progress towards improvement goals.
Effective delivery of the school’s curriculum to meet student's needs.
School improvements are supported by enhanced and extended professional and education sector relationships.
Improved regular attendance and reduced chronic absences.
Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.
During this review the Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:
Board Administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Personnel Management
Yes
Recommendation to the Ministry of Education
ERO recommends that the Ministry of Education provide tailored support for:
further developing school planning and actions to further increase regular student attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism
further developing schoolwide responses to assessment data to better target literacy and mathematics teaching and learning programmes that align to the school’s special character
improve annual school planning that includes student achievement targets with specific actions, timeframes and accountabilities, including regular reporting of progress to the board.
The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within four 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
Sharon Kelly Director of Schools
10 October 2025
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).