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TKKM o Te Rito

Composite · State

Year levels
not reported
Total roll
98
Enrolment zone
No
Gender
Co-Educational
Every one of the 250 schools in Wellington Region with a published location. TKKM o Te Rito is the marked one. Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0

Where is it, and how do I get in touch?

Address
Te Rauparaha Street, Ōtaki
Territorial authority
Kapiti Coast District
Phone
06-3645207
Email
Ariana@terito.school.nz
Website
http://www.terito.school.nz
Directions
Get directions

Other schools nearby: schools in Wellington Region

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.

In their words
    • NGĀ MĀTĀPONO
    • Kia Māori te reo i ngā wā katoa.
    • Mā te Māori te kaupapa e kōkiri.
    • Kia pūmau ki ngā mātāpono o Te Aho Matua me Whakatupuranga Rua Mano.
    • Kia whai mana a Ngāti Raukawa te au ki te tonga i roto i ngā tikanga whakahaere o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito.

Check it on the school’s own website →

Who goes here?

Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.

European
14
Māori
97
Pacific
10
Asian
1
MELAA
0
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.

By year level
MāoriPacificAsianMELAAOtherEuropean/ PākehāInternational studentsTotal
Year 011430001014
Year 0270000007
Year 0382000008
Year 0471000207
Year 0520000102
Year 0681000108
Year 0760000006
Year 081000001010
Year 0930000003
Year 101000001010
Year 1150000005
Year 1260000006
Year 13+50000005
Total9170007091
By age
MāoriPacificAsianMELAAOtherEuropean/ PākehāInternational studentsTotal
Age 051020001010
Age 061010000010
Age 0782000008
Age 0881000208
Age 0920000102
Age 1091000109
Age 1150000005
Age 121000001010
Age 1330000003
Age 1490000009
Age 1560000106
Age 1650000005
Age 1760000006
Total9170007091

Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0

Academic results

Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025

100%

TKKM o Te Rito100%
Wellington Region90.8%
Composite (Year 1-15)91.4%
State: Not integrated83.6%
New Zealand85.2%
Trend and demographic breakdown
FemaleToo few to report
MaleToo few to report
MāoriToo few to report
PacificToo few to report
AsianNot applicable
MELAANot applicable
OtherNot applicable
European/PākehāNot applicable
Total100%

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

100%

TKKM o Te Rito100%
Wellington Region85.3%
Composite (Year 1-15)86%
State: Not integrated75.4%
New Zealand77.8%
Trend and demographic breakdown
FemaleToo few to report
MaleToo few to report
MāoriToo few to report
PacificToo few to report
AsianNot applicable
MELAANot applicable
OtherNot applicable
European/PākehāNot applicable
Total100%

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

80%

TKKM o Te Rito80%
Wellington Region68.6%
Composite (Year 1-15)71.7%
State: Not integrated55.2%
New Zealand59%
Trend and demographic breakdown
FemaleToo few to report
MaleToo few to report
MāoriToo few to report
PacificToo few to report
AsianNot applicable
MELAANot applicable
OtherNot applicable
European/PākehāNot applicable
Total80%

Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)

Percentage with VP Award — 2025

0%

TKKM o Te Rito0%
Wellington Region12.5%
Composite (Year 1-15)16%
State: Not integrated14.4%
New Zealand14.1%
Trend and demographic breakdown
FemaleToo few to report
MaleToo few to report
MāoriToo few to report
PacificToo few to report
AsianNot applicable
MELAANot applicable
OtherNot applicable
European/PākehāNot applicable
Total0%

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

100%

TKKM o Te Rito100%
Wellington Region88.7%
Composite (Year 1-15)86.6%
State: Not integrated81.4%
New Zealand83%
Trend and demographic breakdown
FemaleToo few to report
MaleToo few to report
MāoriToo few to report
PacificToo few to report
AsianNot applicable
MELAANot applicable
OtherNot applicable
European/PākehāNot applicable
Total100%

Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)

Student engagement

Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024

0%

TKKM o Te Rito0%
Wellington Region24.7%
Composite (Year 1-15)26.5%
State40.2%
New Zealand37.1%
Trend and demographic breakdown
Female0%
Male0%
Māori0%
Pacific0%
AsianNot available (source marker: "nd")
OtherNot available (source marker: "nd")
European/Pākehā0%
Total0%

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%

TKKM o Te Rito0%
Wellington Region2.6%
Composite (Year 1-15)3.2%
State4.5%
New Zealand4.1%
Trend and demographic breakdown
Female0%
Male0%
Māori0%
Pacific0%
AsianNot available (source marker: "nd")
OtherNot available (source marker: "nd")
European/Pākehā0%
Total0%

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%

TKKM o Te Rito0%
Wellington Region0.9%
Composite (Year 1-15)1.2%
State1.9%
New Zealand1.8%
Trend and demographic breakdown
Female0%
Male0%
Māori0%
Pacific0%
AsianNot available (source marker: "nd")
OtherNot available (source marker: "nd")
European/Pākehā0%
Total0%

Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)

About the school

Equity Index (EQI)
486
Boarding
No
Language of instruction
All students taught in te reo Māori
Urban / rural
Small urban area
Date opened
17 February 1991

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
17 December 2025
Latest report
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito December 2025
Report type
Review report
Board assurance
not reported

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 98 — 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.

  1. September 2025

    93

    Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 17 December 2025

  2. 10 August 2015

    82

    Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 7 October 2015

We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 17 December 2025 — “Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito December 2025” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.

ERO wrote this report in te reo Māori and in English. Both are here as ERO published them, in ERO’s order, untranslated.

1 He Kupu Arataki

Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ngā whānau, ngā kaiārahi, ngā kaimahi me ngā hapori ki te whakawhanake i ngā tirohanga aromātai e whai wāhi nui ai ki te hāpai i te kawenga takohanga me te whakapaitanga, ki te tautuhi i te ahu whakamua, ā, ki te whakapakari ake hoki i te āheinga ki te aromātai. E hāngai ana tēnei pūrongo ki ā rātou pūnaha, ki ā rātou whakaritenga, me ā rātou mahi whakahaere. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā whānau, mā ngā hapū, me ngā iwi.

2 Te Horopaki

E tū ana Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito ki Ōtaki. Kua pou herea te kura ki ngā tikanga whakaaro o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano me Te Aho Matua. He tino hononga ō rātou ki Te Āti Awa rātou ko Ngāti Raukawa, ko Ngāti Toa Rangatira. I te tau 2024 i whakatū ai te whānau i tētahi tumuaki hou, ā, he raukura ia o te kura.

He pēhea rawa te kite atu ki ngā tamariki, kei te whakaongaongatia rātou, kei te harikoa hoki rātou hei ākonga?

Kei te ngākau titikaha ngā tamariki hei ākonga, ā, e eke ana ki ō rātou pūmanawa, e whakatinana ana hoki i ngā mātāpono o Te Aho Matua.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

Te Ira Tangata

Kei te tino pakari ngā ākonga i roto i ngā mōhiotanga ki ō rātou tātai hono ki ō rātou whānau, ō rātou iwi, me tō rātou hapori. E whakarato ana te whānau i tētahi taiao ako e ahu mai ana i ngā uara me ngā whakapono tuku iho Māori, pērā i te kaitiakitanga, te rangatiratanga, me te kotahitanga. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā ākonga ki ngā taumahi e tohu ana i ngā tikanga tuku iho mā roto i te horopaki o te ao hurihuri. Ka ako rātou, ka taki hoki rātou i te tangongitanga o ngā karakia, ngā mōteatea, ngā whakapapa me ngā kōrero tuku iho i āta whiriwhirihia ai. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, ka ārahi, ka whai wāhi mātātoa hoki rātou ki ngā tūāhuatanga o te haka pōwhiri, te mihimihi, me te whakatau wairua. I ngā ākonga e ahu whakamua ana i roto i ngā reanga o te kura, ka nui ake tā rātou whai kawenga, ā, e tūmanakohia ana kia ū pūmau rātou ki ngā uara o te kura. Ka āta aro atu ki ngā ākonga o te kura tēina, ā, ka kitea tā rātou pārekareka ki te ako. Ka kitea ki ngā ākonga o te wharekura te whakaute me te pakari hei ākonga, hei kaiārahi hoki. Kei te ngākau titikaha ngā ākonga ki tō rātou tuakiri me tō rātou tūrangawaewae.

Te Reo Māori

Kua rumakina ngā ākonga ki te hōhonutanga o te taiao reo Māori. E tino ngākau nui ana ngā whānau ki te hāpai i te mātau haere o ngā ākonga ki te reo Māori. Ka kawe ngātahi rātou i te whakamahinga o te reo Māori i roto i ngā wāhanga katoa o te kura. Ka kaha whakatauira ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako o te kura i te whakamahinga o te reo Māori hei reo whakaako, hei reo ako. Ka whakamahi rātou i te tangongitanga o ngā rautaki ki te whakapakari me te whakawhānui i te māramatanga o ngā ākonga ki te reo Māori. Kei te ū ngā kaiako me te whānau o te kura ki te whakamahi i te reo ā-iwi me ngā kupu ake o hapū me te iwi. Ka kitea ki ngā ākonga te papai o te waiaro ki te ako me te whakamahi i te reo Māori kia māhorahora ai hei reo whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro. He ngākau titikaha ō rātou ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou whakaaro mā te reo Māori ki te kura, ā, ki te hapori whānui anō hoki. Ka tūmāia ngā tamariki ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.

Ngā Iwi

E whanake ana ngā tamariki i ngā pūkenga ki te paihere i ō rātou hononga ki ētahi atu. He tino hononga ō ngā tamariki ki te mana whenua, ā, e whakawhānui tonu ana rātou i ō rātou māramatanga ki aua hononga. Ka kitea tō rātou whakaaro nui ki aua hononga hei ākonga i Te Rito, ā, kei te mōhio rātou ki tō rātou tūnga ki te kura me te hapori whānui. Ka whakapuaki ngā kaiako i ngā tino whai wāhitanga mō ngā tamariki ki te whakapakari ake i ō rātou hononga ā-whakapapa mā ngā akoranga i whakamaheretia ai i mō te tikanga ā-iwi me te hītori. Ka whakatairanga tonuhia tā rātou ako mā ngā haerenga ki ngā wāhi motuhake me ngā kaupapa whakahirahira o te rohe me te motu. Ka hāpai ngā whānau me ngā kaiako i ngā tamariki ki te tū hei tino kanohi mō te kura, i a rātou e taunekeneke ana i roto i te hapori me ētahi atu kura o Te Aho Matua mā te kapa haka me te wiki hākinakina. Ka kitea ki ngā tamariki te papai me te whai pūtaketanga o ō rātou hononga ki ētahi atu.

Te Ao

E ako ana ngā tamariki mā roto mai i tētahi taiao e whakamana ana i tō rātou tino pitomata, ā, e tautāwhi ana i tō rātou tuakiritanga ā-hinengaro, ā-tinana, ā-wairua hoki. Ka toro atu te marautanga ki te mātauranga Māori hei tūhonohono i ngā akoranga ki te tuakiri, ki te wāhi, me te pūtaketanga. Ka tuitui i te ao māoriori, te ao ahurea, me te ao tōrangapū o Ōtaki ki ngā wheako ako, ā, ka tūhonohono i ngā ākonga ki tō rātou taiao, ka poipoi anō hoki i te kaitiakitanga. Ki tua atu i te marau, ka whai wāhi atu ngā tamariki ki ngā wheako whakatairanga mā ngā hononga ki ētahi atu kura me ngā kaupapa hākinakina, kaupapa ahurea hoki, ā, he tūāhuatanga tēnei e hāpai ai ki te whakapakari i tō rātou tuakiri me tō rātou whai māramatanga ki a rātou anō. Ka tautoko, ka whakamana hoki ngā whānau i ngā mōhiotanga ā-hapori nei e ākona ana e ā rātou tamariki i te kura me te hapori whānui. E poipoia ana te ahurea o ngā tamariki, ā, kua hāpaitia tō rātou puāwaitanga i roto i te ao Māori me te ao whānui.

Ngā Āhuatanga Ako

Ko ngā kaupapa tūturu o te marau me ngā wheako ako i āta whakamaheretia ai, e whakatau ana i te kaha o te whai wāhi nui o ngā ākonga ki ngā akoranga. Ka hāpai ngā kaiako kia whakamana, kia whakakotahi anō hoki te wāhi ako, ā, ka toro atu ngā tamariki ki te tangongitanga o ngā wheako ako. He pai te hanganga o ngā mahere ā-kura, ā, e whakatairangatia ana te angitu o ngā tamariki nā ngā whakawhitinga kōrero e pā ana ki te whakaako me te ako. Kei te tino mōhio ngā kaiako ki ngā tamariki, ā, ka whakariterite i ngā tino akoranga mō te whai wāhi nui mai a ngā ākonga. Ka āta aroturuki i te ahu whakamua, ā, kua whakahāngaitia te tautoko mō ngā tamariki hei hāpai ake. Ko te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae o ngā tamariki e tohu ana i te tino nuinga o ngā tamariki o ngā tau 1 ki te 10 e tautokona ana, kia angitu ai rātou i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā tamariki o te Tau 11 ki ētahi o ngā kaupapa o Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea, heoi, ka whakapeto ngoi, ka aro pū ki te whakariterite i ngā tamariki mō Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea hei te Tau 12. Ko ngā hōtuku i te mutunga o te tau 2024 e tohu ana i te 60% o ngā tamariki i angitu ai i te Taumata 2, me te 100% o ngā tamariki ki te Tau 13 i whiwhi i te Taumata 3. I whiwhi te 67% o aua tamariki i te Tiwhikete Whakauru Whare Wānanga. E whakatutukihia ana ngā tamariki i ō rātou tino pūmanawa.

Ngā Mahi Whakahaere a te Whānau me te Ārahitanga

I roto i te roanga o te wā, kua whakawhanakehia e ngā kaiārahi te tino ahurea e hāpai ngātahi ai i te angitu o ngā tamariki. Ka tohaina ngā mahi ārahi, ā, he tauira tēnei e whakamana ana i ngā kaiako katoa ki te whai i te hiranga, me te āta whai wāhi nui ki te tirohanga o te kura. Kua whakatakotohia ngā pūnaha whai hanganga hei hāpai, hei aroturuki i te ahu whakamua o ngā tamariki, ā, hei whakatau anō hoki i te whakatutukitanga o ngā whāinga ako me te āta aromatawai anō hoki i ngā paetae. Ka whakanuia ngā ekenga i roto i te mātauranga me te hākinakina, ka whakapuakihia hoki ki te taha o ngā whānau me te iwi, ā, he tūāhuatanga tēnei e whakapūmau ana i te manawa whakahī me te whai hononga. E whanake ana ngā tamariki i ngā waiaro papai me ngā pūmanawa e whakariterite ana i a rātou ki te tūmāia ki te ārahi i roto i ō rātou hapori, ā, i ngā huarahi hoki i whakataungia ai e rātou.

Ka whai wāhi mātātoa te whānau ki ngā mahi kāwana i te kura, ka aro pū ki ngā tamariki, ā, ka āta whakaū i te whakatairanga ake o ngā whakataunga whakahaere i te ako me te waiora. Ko tō rātou mōhiotanga, ko tō rātou mātanga hoki e whakatakoto ana i te tino tūāpapa ā-ahurea, ā, e arahina ana ā rātou whiringa rautaki e ngā mātāpono o Te Aho Matua, me te whai pānga anō hoki o ngā wawata o te whānau o te kura. Kua whakatau rātou i ngā rawa ka hāpai i ā rātou whāinga rautaki, ā, ka aro matua ki te waiora o ngā tamariki me te eke angitu i roto i te mātauranga. E puāwai ana ngā tamariki nā ngā whakataunga e whakaaro nui ana ki te hāpai i tā rātou whakatutukitanga o ō rātou tino pūmanawa.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Kua tautuhia e te whānau o te kura, e tika ana kia whakapūmautia ngā whakaritenga o te kounga kairangi me te aronga toitū ki Te Aho Matua, hei āta whakatau i haere tonutanga o te angitu me ngā whakatutukitanga o ā rātou tamariki. E hāpai ana te aromātai nei i te haere tonutanga me te whakatairanga tonu o ngā putanga e whai hua ana ki ngā tamariki.

5 Te Whakatau a te Whānau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I mua atu i te aromātai i whakatutukihia e te poari me te tumuaki he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a te Whānau o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Te Aho Matua mā Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, me tētahi Rārangi Arowhai Tātari Whaiaro. I roto i aua tuhinga i oati rātou i whāia e rātou ngā huarahi whai take hei whakatutuki i ā rātou herenga ā-ture e pā ana ki:

ngā whakahaere a te poari

te marautanga

ngā whakahaere mō te hauora, te haumaru, me te oranga tinana

ngā whakahaere o ngā kaimahi

ngā whakahaere o te pūtea

ngā whakahaere o ngā rawa.

I te wā o te arotake, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei, i te mea he nui te pānga o ēnei ki te haumaru me te waiora o ngā ākonga:

te haumaru aronganui o ngā ākonga (tāpiri atu ki te ārai i ngā mahi whakawetiweti me ngā mahi whakaaito)

te haumaru ā-tinana o ngā ākonga

te rēhitatanga me te tiwhiketetanga o ngā kaiako

ngā tukanga ki te whakatū kaimahi

te whakaunu, te aukati, te pana me te whakarerenga

te tae ā-tinana atu a ngā ākonga ki te kura.

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakapūmau tonu, kia whakapakari tonu te whānau i ngā whakaritenga e hāpai ai i te taumata teitei tonu o ngā paetae ākonga.

Tiwana Hibbs Toka ā Nuku - Director Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

17 Hakihea, 2025

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Kōhanga Reo

Te tūwāhi Kei Ōtaki

Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga 4211

Te tūmomo kura He kura hiato

Te tokomaha o ngā ākonga o te kura 93

Ngā hononga ā-iwi Māori 93

Ngā āhuatanga motuhake Te Aho Matua

Te wā i te kura te rōpū arotake Mahuru 2025

Te wā o tēnei pūrongo 17 Hakihea 2025

Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga Kaupapa Motuhake – Poutiria Te Reo Mauriora, Paenga-whāwhā 2020; Arotake Mātauranga, Whiringa-ā-nuku 2015

1 Introduction

The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with whānau , leaders, kaimahi and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability. This report reflects their systems, operations and management practices. The ERO reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi .

2 Context

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito is in Ōtaki . The kura is underpinned by the philosophies of Whakatupuranga Rua Mano and Te Aho Matua . They have strong connections to Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira . In 2024, the whānau appointed a new principal, a raukura of the kura .

How effectively do tamariki demonstrate they are stimulated and happy learners?

Tamariki are confident learners who achieve their potential and reflect the principles of Te Aho Matua .

4 Findings

Te Ira Tangata

Students are deeply secure in the knowledge of their ancestral links to their whānau, iwi , and hapori . Whānau provide a learning environment based on traditional Māori values and beliefs such as kaitiakitanga, rangatiratanga , and kotahitanga . Students participate in activities that reflect traditional customs and practices in a contemporary environment. They learn about and can recite a range of purposefully selected karakia, mōteatea, whakapapa , and kōrero tuku iho . Furthermore, students actively participate in and lead aspects of haka pōhiri, mihimihi , and whakatau wairua . As tauira progress through the year levels in the kura , they take on greater responsibility and are expected to uphold the values of the kura . Students in the junior school are treated with careful attention and demonstrate enjoyment in their learning. Students in the wharekura show respect and maturity as learners and leaders. Students are confident in who they are and where they come from.

Te Reo Māori

Students are immersed in a rich Māori language environment. Whānau are highly committed to supporting students to be proficient speakers of te reo Māori . They take collective responsibility for the use of te reo Māori in all domains of the kura . School leaders and teachers are disciplined in role modelling the use of te reo Māori as the language of instruction and learning. They use a range of strategies to strengthen and extend student understanding of te reo Māori. Pouako and the kura whānau intentionally include the local dialect and distinct language nuances particular to the local hapū and iwi . Students display a positive attitude towards learning and using te reo Māori as the natural form of communication . They confidently express themselves in te reo Māori within the school and the wider community. Tamariki are confident speakers te reo Māori .

Ngā Iwi

Tamariki develop the skills to build enduring relationships with others. Tamariki are deeply connected to mana whenua and continue to expand their understanding of these relationships. They show respect for these connections as learners within Te Rito , recognising their place within the kura and the wider community. Kaiako create rich opportunities for tamariki to strengthen their whakapapa links through planned learning in tikanga ā-iwi and history. Their learning is further enhanced by visits to places and events of regional and national significance. Whānau and pouako support tamariki in their role as positive ambassadors for the kura when interacting with the community and other kura Aho Matua through kapa haka and wiki hākinakina. Tamariki demonstrate positive and meaningful connections with others.

Te Ao

Tamariki learn in an environment that values their full potential, embracing who they are in mind, body, and spirit. The curriculum draws on mātauranga Māori to connect learning with identity, place, and purpose. The natural, cultural, and political landscapes of Ōtaki are woven into learning experiences, connecting students to their physical environment and nurturing a sense of kaitiakitanga . Beyond the curriculum, tamariki engage in enriching experiences through connections with other kura , sports, and cultural events, helping to strengthen their identity and understanding of self. Whānau support and value the localised knowledge their tamariki gain through learning both at kura and within the wider community. Tamariki are culturally grounded and prepared to thrive in both te ao Māori and the wider world.

Āhuatanga Ako

Authentic curriculum content and thoughtfully planned learning experiences ensure high levels of student engagement. Kaiako foster an affirming, inclusive environment where tamariki engage in a variety of learning experiences. Kura wide planning is well structured with collaborative discussions for teaching and learning taking place that promotes tamariki success. Kaiako know tamariki well and prepare deliberate lessons for full engagement and participation. Progress is closely monitored, with targeted support for tamariki requiring further assistance. Tamariki progress and achievement information shows that a large majority of tamariki from Years 1 – 10 are supported to achieve academic success for te reo matatini and pāngarau . Whilst tamariki in Years 11 participate in some National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) subjects, a concerted efforted is focused on preparing tamariki for NCEA in Year 12. The data recorded at the end of 2024 indicates 60% of tamariki who sat Level 2 achieved success and 100% of tamariki in Year 13 achieved Level 3. 67% of those tamariki also attained University Entrance. Tamariki are reaching their full potential.

Whānau Whakahaere and Leadership

Over time, leaders have developed a strong culture of collective responsibility for tamariki success. A distributive leadership model empowers all pouako to pursue excellence and contribute meaningfully to the kura ’s vision. Well-structured systems are in place to support and monitor tamariki progress, ensuring learning goals are met and achievement is effectively assessed. Academic and sporting achievements are celebrated and shared with whānau and iwi , reinforcing a sense of pride and connection. Tamariki develop positive attitudes and attributes that prepare them to lead confidently within their communities and chosen pathways.

The whānau plays an active, tamariki -focused role in governance, ensuring that operational decisions promote both learning and wellbeing. Their shared knowledge and experience provide a strong cultural foundation, and their strategic choices are guided by the principles of Te Aho Matua , while also reflecting the aspirations of the kura whānau . They have committed resources to support their strategic goals, which prioritise tamariki wellbeing and educational achievement. Tamariki thrive under thoughtful decision-making that supports them to reach their full potential.

Key Next Steps

The kura whānau have identified the need to sustain high-quality practices and an enduring commitment to Te Aho Matua to ensure the ongoing success and achievement of their tamariki . This evaluation supports the continuation and enhancement of positive outcomes for tamariki .

5 Whānau Assurance on Legal Requirement

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal completed the ERO Ngā Kura Kaupapa Te Aho Matua Whānau Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

board administration

curriculum

management of health, safety and welfare

personnel management

financial management

asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

physical safety of students

teacher registration

processes for appointing staff

stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

attendance.

6 Recommendation

ERO recommends that the whānau continue to sustain and strengthen practices that support continued high levels of student achievement.

Tiwana Hibbs Toka ā Nuku - Director Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

17 December 2025

7 Information about the Kura

Location Ōtaki

Ministry of Education profile number 4211

Special features Te Aho Matua

Kura type Composite

Kura roll 93

Ethnic composition Māori 93

Review team on site September 2025

Date of this report 17 December 2025

Most recent ERO reports Special Project – Poutiria Te Reo Mauriora , April 2020; Education Review, October 2015

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →

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).