Timaru Boys' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · State
- Year levels
- 9–13
- Total roll
- 808
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Boys School
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 211 North Street, West End, Timaru
- Territorial authority
- Timaru District
- Phone
- 03-6877560
- tbhs@timaruboys.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: 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.
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.
- School day ends
- 3.20pm
3.20pm | End of School
- 3.20pm
- 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
International students may start their course of study at any time during the year.
- 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
- TBHS Athletic sports
the annual TBHS Athletic sports held on Monday and Tuesday 17-18 February
- TBHS swimming sports
The annual TBHS swimming sports were held in fine conditions on the 17th of February.
- TBHS Athletic sports
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 599
- Māori
- 133
- Pacific
- 61
- Asian
- 67
- MELAA
- 35
- Other
- 2
- International
- 20
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 | 36 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 144 | 2 | 197 |
| Year 10 | 37 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 148 | 2 | 201 |
| Year 11 | 24 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 131 | 4 | 166 |
| Year 12 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 110 | 8 | 144 |
| Year 13+ | 7 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 72 | 4 | 91 |
| Total | 123 | 57 | 37 | 39 | 3 | 605 | 20 | 799 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 13 | 31 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 102 | 1 | 139 |
| Age 14 | 31 | 21 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 151 | 1 | 199 |
| Age 15 | 31 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 123 | 3 | 170 |
| Age 16 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 133 | 9 | 169 |
| Age 17 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 80 | 3 | 101 |
| Age 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 20 |
| Age 19+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 123 | 57 | 37 | 39 | 3 | 605 | 20 | 799 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
88%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 88% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 87.1% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 88% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Male | 88% |
| Māori | 63.2% |
| Pacific | 91.7% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 89.6% |
| Total | 88% |
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
75.4%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 75.4% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 79.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 81% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Male | 75.4% |
| Māori | 52.6% |
| Pacific | 66.7% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 78.3% |
| Total | 75.4% |
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
45.8%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 45.8% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 59% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 61.8% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Male | 45.8% |
| Māori | 31.6% |
| Pacific | 25% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 47.8% |
| Total | 45.8% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
19%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 19% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 13.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 15.2% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Male | 19% |
| Māori | 5.3% |
| Pacific | 16.7% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 20% |
| Total | 19% |
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
76.8%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 76.8% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 83.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 83.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Male | 76.8% |
| Māori | 52.6% |
| Pacific | 75% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 79.1% |
| Total | 76.8% |
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
40.5%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 40.5% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 35.8% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
|---|---|
| Male | 40.5% |
| Māori | 35.1% |
| Pacific | 79.6% |
| Asian | 66.4% |
| Other | 120.6% |
| European/Pākehā | 28.2% |
| Total | 40.5% |
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
1.3%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 1.3% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 4% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
|---|---|
| Male | 1.3% |
| Māori | 4.2% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0.9% |
| Total | 1.3% |
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
0.8%
| Timaru Boys' High School | 0.8% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
|---|---|
| Male | 0.8% |
| Māori | 4.8% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0.8% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 457
- Boarding
- Yes
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Medium urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1880
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
- 19 May 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (19 May 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 19 May 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 808 — 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.
February 2017
662
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 20 April 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 19 May 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 24 months of the Education Review Office and Timaru Boys’ 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
Timaru Boys' High School, established in 1880, is a single sex state secondary school located in the port city of Timaru , South Canterbury. The school caters for students in Years 9 to 13. The school’s vision is "A Timaru Boys’ High School young man will be aspirational, respectful and a positive contributor to his community, with an inquiring and independent mind”.
Timaru Boys’ High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
promoting an environment that supports individual student development
promoting excellence and equity in achievement by providing high quality teaching and learning
supporting Māori and Pasifika students to experience success
building capability and character through the arts and sports.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Timaru Boys’ High School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which culturally responsive teaching practice contributes to excellence and equity in progress and achievement for all students.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
high quality teaching and learning is one of the school’s strategic goals
the school is reviewing the junior curriculum
improving educational outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students is a priority.
The school expects to see that ongoing monitoring and evaluation of achievement and other indicator data will show improved outcomes in terms of excellence and equity for all students.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal of achieving excellent and equitable outcomes in progress and achievement of all students:
Collaborative practices and planning schoolwide contributes to a coherent and aligned approach to improving student outcomes.
Well-considered professional learning and development is extending teachers’ knowledge and understanding of culturally responsive practice and effective strategies to accelerate student learning.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
tracking and monitoring students who are at risk of not meeting the required curriculum level and designing next steps for learning
improving educational outcomes for Māori students.
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 their 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.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
19 May 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).