Tauraroa Area School
Composite · State
- Year levels
- not reported
- Total roll
- 432
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 398 Tauraroa Road, Maungakaramea
- Territorial authority
- Whangarei District
- Phone
- 09-4322643
- general@tauraroa.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Whangārei · schools in Northland
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
- Required
A green uniform polo shirt is required for ALL primary students.
- Required
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
We have a small number of international students so you will have an authentic ‘kiwi’ experience, mixing with local students in all of your classes.
- Accepted, as stated
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 389
- Māori
- 129
- Pacific
- 12
- Asian
- 21
- MELAA
- 4
- Other
- 5
- International
- 2
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 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 02 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 03 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| Year 05 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 06 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 21 |
| Year 07 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 56 | 0 | 58 |
| Year 08 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 0 | 49 |
| Year 09 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 54 |
| Year 10 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 0 | 64 |
| Year 11 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 43 |
| Year 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 5 | 50 |
| Year 13+ | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 23 |
| Total | 131 | 20 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 394 | 6 | 440 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 06 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 07 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 17 |
| Age 08 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 09 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 19 |
| Age 11 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 50 |
| Age 12 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 0 | 47 |
| Age 13 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 53 |
| Age 14 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 62 |
| Age 15 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 0 | 49 |
| Age 16 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 4 | 51 |
| Age 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 26 |
| Age 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 131 | 20 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 394 | 6 | 440 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
91.7%
| Tauraroa Area School | 91.7% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 82.3% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 91.4% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 92% |
|---|---|
| Male | 91.3% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 90.9% |
| Total | 91.7% |
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
83.3%
| Tauraroa Area School | 83.3% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 72.1% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 86% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 84% |
|---|---|
| Male | 82.6% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 81.8% |
| Total | 83.3% |
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
41.7%
| Tauraroa Area School | 41.7% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 48.3% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 71.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 40% |
|---|---|
| Male | 43.5% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 40.9% |
| Total | 41.7% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
20.8%
| Tauraroa Area School | 20.8% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 16.8% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 16% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 28% |
|---|---|
| Male | 13% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 22.7% |
| Total | 20.8% |
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
66.7%
| Tauraroa Area School | 66.7% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 72.9% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 86.6% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 76% |
|---|---|
| Male | 56.5% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 65.9% |
| Total | 66.7% |
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
40.3%
| Tauraroa Area School | 40.3% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 52% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 26.5% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 14.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | 64.8% |
| Māori | 58.1% |
| Pacific | 70.8% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 38.9% |
| Total | 40.3% |
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
1.6%
| Tauraroa Area School | 1.6% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 6.5% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 3.2% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 3.2% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 33.6% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 1.8% |
| Total | 1.6% |
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%
| Tauraroa Area School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 2.7% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 1.2% |
| 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)
- 477
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 16 November 1858
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
- 6
- Last reviewed
- 12 November 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (12 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 12 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 identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
obtain police vets of non-teaching and unregistered employees. (Section 104, Education and Training Act 2020)
The board has addressed the area of non-compliance identified.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 12 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
Tauraroa Area School is located south of Whangārei and provides education for learners from Years 1 to 13. The school values are Manaakitanga (caring), Kotahitanga (togetherness) and Poutamatanga (striving to improve) . Two new senior leaders have joined the leadership team since the 2023 ERO report.
Tauraroa Area School is a member of the Ngā Kura mo te ako o Whangārei Kāhui Ako group 4.
Part A: A summary of the findings from the most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report and/or subsequent evaluation.
Part B: 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 C: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Previous Improvement Goals
Since January 2023, the school and ERO have been working to evaluate how well assessment is used to support teaching and learning, ensuring equity and excellence for all learners.
Expected Improvements and Findings
The school expected to see:
Improvement in learning and teaching practices built on positive culturally responsive relationships.
Leaders and teachers have established a system of regular professional meetings where they address and respond to the learning needs of learners who require additional support.
Teachers have participated in professional learning and strengthened relational practices.
Teachers’ knowledge and use of achievement data and learning progressions has improved, however this remains an area of focus.
Other Findings
During the course of the evaluation, it was found that regular meetings by teachers to focus on learner progress and achievement has led to improved outcomes.
The greatest shift that occurred in response to the school’s action is the embedding of systems to record and monitor the progress and achievement of learners who are at risk of not achieving.
Part B: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Outcomes for learners in the senior school are increasingly excellent and equitable.
The majority of learners in Years 1 to 10 achieve at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics; achievement information does not yet include analysis by gender or ethnicity, or progress and achievement over time.
The majority of Years 11 to 13 learners achieve National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Levels 1, 2 and 3; a small majority achieve University Entrance.
Māori learners achieve at similar rates in NCEA Levels 1 and 2; the performance of females is stronger than males at NCEA Levels 2 and 3.
Regular attendance has improved over the past two years, however less than half of learners attend school regularly; the school does not meet the Ministry of Education targets for regular attendance.
Conditions to support learner success
School leaders provide experienced leadership and demonstrate a strong commitment to improving outcomes for learners.
The leadership team continues to work towards sustaining and embedding a strong professional culture, with a focus on raising teacher capability and the quality of teaching.
Academic and vocational excellence are celebrated; leaders foster strong community relationships with work experience providers to promote meaningful career pathways for students.
Leaders actively support the strengthening of systems for early identification and responses to learning needs.
The school is working towards designing and delivering a coherent curriculum across the school to support success for students.
Teaching and learning programmes increasingly reflect local contexts and are beginning to offer more meaningful learning opportunities.
Teachers use deliberate teaching strategies to support learning and use their knowledge of learners’ needs, strengths and interests to tailor support.
Teachers use explicit level-appropriate approaches to provide opportunities for learners to experience challenge and success, and to engage in learning within an orderly environment.
Systems, processes and practices are becoming established to drive schoolwide improvement.
Student achievement information systems are in place to collect data; this is an area to further strengthen to provide a clearer picture of student achievement over time.
Regular opportunities are well established for teachers to meet and discuss strategies to respond to and plan for the learning needs of students who are at risk of not achieving.
The school provides a secure and inclusive environment for learners with additional learning needs.
Tikanga and te reo Māori are beginning to be embedded in the life of the school.
Part C: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
further develop schoolwide systems for the collection, analysis and use of data to measure progress and achievement over time
continue to build consistent and coherent teacher practice that reflects school values and has a focus on progress, achievement and wellbeing
further strengthen relational trust and effective collaboration at every level of the school to drive continuous improvement
continue to engage with whānau /families and external agencies to increase regular attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
collect, analyse and report on achievement data for all learners, including groups of learners
develop a plan to guide teaching and learning programmes across the school to exemplify Tauraroa Area School values and changes to The New Zealand Curriculum
explore and use findings from a school culture review to increasingly strengthen relational trust and effective collaboration
review and promote effective attendance initiatives
Every six months:
analyse progress and achievement data to further refine reporting practices to parents
align professional development to support teachers to consistently embed teaching and learning priorities
continue to measure the school culture to enhance collaboration and wellbeing
monitor the effectiveness of attendance initiatives and make further adjustments
Annually:
ensure progress and achievement data informs strategic and annual planning
review and adapt professional development initiatives to ensure consistency and coherence in teaching and learning across the school to improve outcomes for all learners
evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s response to the school culture review
evaluate the effectiveness of attendance initiatives and incorporate findings in strategic planning.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
consistent use of data to support raised achievement
increased consistency and coherence of teaching practices across the school
high levels of relational trust, effective collaboration and a strongly embedded professional culture
increased attendance to meet Ministry targets.
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
12 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 6 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).