Timaru Girls' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · State
- Year levels
- 9–13
- Total roll
- 489
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Girls School
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Cain Street, Timaru
- Territorial authority
- Timaru District
- Phone
- 03-6881122
- principal@timarugirls.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.
- Uniform
Not stated on the school’s website.
- Getting there
- Aoraki School Transport Network (ASTN) rural school bus routes
Aoraki School Transport Network (ASTN) provides Free school bus transport assistance for eligible students to attend school by managing buses that carry approximately 800 students daily.
- Aoraki School Transport Network (ASTN) rural school bus routes
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
- Duke of Edinburgh programme
high country tramping as part of the Duke of Edinburgh programme
- high country tramping
high country tramping as part of the Duke of Edinburgh programme
- Artarama
- Artarama
- Art Exhibitions
- Art Exhibitions
- Arts Committee events
- Arts Committee events
- School Choir
- School Choir
- Chamber Music
- Chamber Music
- Combined School Production
- Combined School Production
- Cultural House Event
- Cultural House Event
- House Choir festival
- House Choir festival
- Kapa Haka
- Kapa Haka
- Lip-sync
- Lip-sync
- Music Performance Groups
- Music Performance Groups
- Pasifika Group
- Pasifika Group
- Rock Quest
- Rock Quest
- Senior Plays
- Senior Plays
- Shakespeare Festival
- Shakespeare Festival
- Singing Cup
- Singing Cup
- Speech Cup
- Speech Cup
- Theatre Sports
- Theatre Sports
- Variety and Performance Evenings
- Variety and Performance Evenings
- Wearable Arts
- Wearable Arts
- free music tuition in a range of instruments
Students are offered free music tuition in a range of instruments.
- Strings – upper strings
- Strings – upper strings
- Base
- Base
- Brass
- Brass
- Cello
- Cello
- Guitar – acoustic and electric
- Guitar – acoustic and electric
- Voice Lessons
- Voice Lessons
- Woodwind
- Woodwind
- Archery
- Archery
- Athletics
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Cricket
- Croquet
- Croquet
- Cross Country
- Cross Country
- Cycling
- Cycling
- Equestrian
- Equestrian
- Hockey
- Hockey
- Indoor Bowls
- Indoor Bowls
- Lawn Bowls
- Lawn Bowls
- Netball
- Netball
- Rowing
- Rowing
- Rugby
- Rugby
- Skiing
- Skiing
- Small-bore Rifle Shooting
- Small-bore Rifle Shooting
- Soccer
- Soccer
- Squash
- Squash
- Table Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Tennis
- Touch Rugby
- Touch Rugby
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Duke of Edinburgh programme
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 362
- Māori
- 78
- Pacific
- 57
- Asian
- 43
- MELAA
- 18
- Other
- 3
- International
- 16
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 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 59 | 2 | 92 |
| Year 10 | 17 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 97 | 1 | 122 |
| Year 11 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 88 | 5 | 114 |
| Year 12 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 6 | 75 |
| Year 13+ | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 4 | 65 |
| Total | 65 | 45 | 26 | 15 | 4 | 358 | 18 | 468 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 13 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 59 |
| Age 14 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 89 | 2 | 118 |
| Age 15 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 96 | 4 | 117 |
| Age 16 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 70 | 5 | 94 |
| Age 17 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 3 | 56 |
| Age 18 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 23 |
| Age 19+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 65 | 45 | 26 | 15 | 4 | 358 | 18 | 468 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
82%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 82% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 87.1% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 88% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 82% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 60% |
| Pacific | 71.4% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 84.6% |
| Total | 82% |
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
74.2%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 74.2% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 79.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 81% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 74.2% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 40% |
| Pacific | 71.4% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 75.6% |
| Total | 74.2% |
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
57.3%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 57.3% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 59% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 61.8% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 57.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 40% |
| Pacific | 57.1% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 57.7% |
| Total | 57.3% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
6.7%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 6.7% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 13.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 15.2% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 6.7% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 6.4% |
| Total | 6.7% |
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
74.2%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 74.2% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 83.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 83.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 74.2% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 40% |
| Pacific | 71.4% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 74.4% |
| Total | 74.2% |
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
| Māori | not reported |
|---|---|
| Female | not reported |
| Male | 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
20.7%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 20.7% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 35.8% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 20.7% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Māori | 48.4% |
| Pacific | 24.5% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 18.3% |
| Total | 20.7% |
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
3.4%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 3.4% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 4% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 3.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Māori | 7.9% |
| Pacific | 10.1% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 1.4% |
| Total | 3.4% |
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
1.4%
| Timaru Girls' High School | 1.4% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 1.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 11.2% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 1.4% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 474
- 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
- 17 October 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (17 October 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 17 October 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 489 — 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.
October 2019
426
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 25 February 2020
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 17 October 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 ten months of the Education Review Office and Timaru Girls’ 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 Girls’ High School is a state secondary school for girls in Years 9 to 13 located in Timaru . A number of students from outside the town reside in the on-site school hostel ‘The House’.
The school’s vision is to develop confident learners who experience success. Its strategic priorities are to improve student attendance, achievement, literacy and numeracy skills and wellbeing through:
engaging teaching and learning; and
provision of a positive and inclusive learning environment.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Timaru Girls’ High School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well effective, relational teaching practice is contributing to improved student outcomes, including improved equity for Māori students.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation includes:
concern about falling rates of attendance and student engagement in learning and the impact of this on achievement
a need to improve the equity of outcomes for Māori students
a collaborative, regional focus on fostering high-quality, effective, relational teaching as a means to achieving excellent and equitable outcomes for diverse learners.
The school expects to see improved:
student attendance, engagement and retention
academic achievement at all levels of the school
equitable outcomes for Māori students; and
students growing in confidence and resilience as learners.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support it in its goal to improve a range of student outcomes through effective, relational teaching practice:
the school’s values are well known and actively promoted to foster a positive and constructive learning environment
there are appropriate systems, practices and staffing to identify and respond to students’ personal and wellbeing needs and to support their engagement in learning
the school has been building leadership capacity to foster effective, relational teaching practice in collaboration with external specialists and staff from other schools.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise leadership of:
planning for the school-wide implementation of effective, relational teaching practice
professional development for teachers – for effective, relational and culturally responsive teaching
strengthening partnerships with iwi, whānau and ngā tauira Māori
inquiry into and evaluation of the impact of relational teaching on student outcomes.
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
17 October 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).