Tarawera High School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · State
- Year levels
- 7–13
- Total roll
- 452
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 58-122 River Road, Kawerau
- Territorial authority
- Kawerau District
- Phone
- 07-3236553
- office@tarawera.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Bay of Plenty
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.
- Term dates
- Term 1, 2026: Monday 2 February - Thursday 2 April
Monday 2 February - Thursday 2 April
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 2, 2026: Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 3, 2026: Monday 20 July - Friday 25 Sept
Monday 20 July - Friday 25 Sept
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 4, 2026: Monday 12 October - Friday 11 Dec
Monday 12 October - Friday 11 Dec
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 1, 2026: Monday 2 February - Thursday 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
- Mana is about honour and prestige. It also about respect and humility.
- Tarawera High School is an environment underpinned by the philosophy of whakawhanaungatanga, that recognises tangata-whenua whilst still valuing all knowledge, language and culture.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 85
- Māori
- 396
- Pacific
- 23
- Asian
- 14
- MELAA
- 2
- 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 07 | 57 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 63 |
| Year 08 | 60 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65 |
| Year 09 | 74 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 85 |
| Year 10 | 63 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 78 |
| Year 11 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 66 |
| Year 12 | 52 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 59 |
| Year 13+ | 40 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 48 |
| Total | 406 | 29 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 0 | 464 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Age 11 | 50 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 55 |
| Age 12 | 57 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 61 |
| Age 13 | 73 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 83 |
| Age 14 | 59 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 72 |
| Age 15 | 64 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 75 |
| Age 16 | 54 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 60 |
| Age 17 | 38 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 44 |
| Age 18 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Age 19+ | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 406 | 29 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 0 | 464 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
72.4%
| Tarawera High School | 72.4% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 87.3% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 89.6% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 78.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 65.8% |
| Māori | 72.7% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 53.3% |
| Total | 72.4% |
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
63.2%
| Tarawera High School | 63.2% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 78.1% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.3% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 71.1% |
|---|---|
| Male | 55.3% |
| Māori | 62.1% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 53.3% |
| Total | 63.2% |
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
38.2%
| Tarawera High School | 38.2% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 56.5% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 64.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 55.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 21.1% |
| Māori | 34.8% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 46.7% |
| Total | 38.2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
7.9%
| Tarawera High School | 7.9% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 18.1% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 14.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 2.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | 13.2% |
| Māori | 4.5% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 13.3% |
| Total | 7.9% |
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
65.8%
| Tarawera High School | 65.8% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 77.3% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.1% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 73.7% |
|---|---|
| Male | 57.9% |
| Māori | 63.6% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 66.7% |
| Total | 65.8% |
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
192%
| Tarawera High School | 192% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 37.4% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 43.4% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 167% |
|---|---|
| Male | 217.2% |
| Māori | 210.7% |
| Pacific | 100.5% |
| Asian | 55.9% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 83.9% |
| Total | 192% |
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
5%
| Tarawera High School | 5% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 3.8% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 4.6% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 5.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 4.8% |
| Māori | 5.7% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 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
2.8%
| Tarawera High School | 2.8% |
|---|---|
| Bay of Plenty Region | 1.4% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 2% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 3.1% |
|---|---|
| Male | 2.6% |
| Māori | 3.2% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 2.8% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 545
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- Some students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 26 January 2013
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
- 7 March 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (7 March 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 7 March 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.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 7 March 2023 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Also provides
- Specialist Learning Centre for physically and intellectually challenged learners
a Specialist Learning Centre for physically and intellectually challenged learners
- Teen Parent Unit
a Teen Parent Unit for pregnant and parenting teenagers
- Alternative Education facility
an Alternative Education facility for those at risk of leaving education
- Specialist Learning Centre for physically and intellectually challenged learners
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 452 — 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 2019
448
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 27 May 2019
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 7 March 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 9 months of the Education Review Office and Tarawera 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
Tarawera High School is a Year 7 to 15 co-educational modern learning environment built in 2016, situated in Kawerau , Eastern Bay of Plenty. The school’s vision is underpinned by the values of Mana : Manaakitanga, Ako, Ngākau pono and Āwhina .
Tarawera High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
expand integrated curriculum through a te ao Māori lens, focusing on literacy and numeracy for all
provide a learning environment that is inclusive of Mana Ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori
create a sense of belonging through visible partnerships.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Tarawera High School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which internal evaluation is supporting ongoing school improvement and partnerships to support student achievement and hauora .
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
further develop internal evaluation systems and processes across the school to identify what is working for which ākonga and why
strengthen educationally significant connections with Kawerau whānui .
The school expects to see ongoing school improvement and partnerships to support student progress, achievement and hauora .
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal of ongoing improvement and partnerships to support student achievement and hauora :
A responsive, localised curriculum promoting equitable and accelerated ākonga outcomes, that aligns with the school’s vision, values and goals
School leadership that sustains a culture of inclusiveness, with a strong focus on relational trust and cultural responsiveness
Leaders are continually engaged in professional knowledge building to enhance teaching effectiveness.
Visible school values that contribute to a positive school culture for ākonga and kaiako .
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
reviewing curriculum content and delivery to ensure it is reflective of Mana Ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori , student interests and hauora
supporting staff to use internal evaluation processes and professional knowledge building to enhance teaching effectiveness
providing opportunities for Kawerau whānui to engage and contribute to educational outcomes and pathways.
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 its 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.
The school’s Specialist Learning Centre for students with physical and intellectual challenges, Teen Parent Education Centre and Alternative Education facility provide for students who need additional support to fulfil their potential.
Phil Cowie Director Review and Improvement Services (Central) Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
7 March 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
Tarawera High School also offers a Specialist Learning Centre for physically and intellectually challenged learners, a Teen Parent Unit for pregnant and parenting teenagers, and an Alternative Education facility for those at risk of leaving education.
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).