Tomarata School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 96
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 8 Pakiri Block Road, Wellsford
- Territorial authority
- Rodney Local Board Area
- Phone
- 09-4237022
- office@tomarata.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Auckland
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.
- Getting there
- Serviced by multiple buses at no cost to parents (routes via EasyBus), plus a trial morning school-van service leaving Mangawhai Village at 7.35 for $30 a week per family
Tomarata School is serviced by multiple buses. Please use the link to see our bus routes and times. There is no cost to parents for buses. For information on having your student added to a school bus list, please contact your school office. If you live in an area where our current buses don’t go, please contact EasyBus at https://rodney.easybus.nz/contact-easybus/ and register your address with them. We are also trialing a morning service from Mangawhai Village, using our school van. There is a cost of $30 a week per family for this service, because it is not serviceable by one of our buses. If more people use this service, the cost will reduce. We leave Mangawhai Village at 7.35.
- Serviced by multiple buses at no cost to parents (routes via EasyBus), plus a trial morning school-van service leaving Mangawhai Village at 7.35 for $30 a week per family
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
- stand up paddle boarding
Outdoor education trips such as camps, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming at the local lake are also a hit with our students.
- kayaking
Outdoor education trips such as camps, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming at the local lake are also a hit with our students.
- swimming at the local lake
Outdoor education trips such as camps, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming at the local lake are also a hit with our students.
- School and RRS Swimming Sports
- RRS Junior Tabloid Sports
- stand up paddle boarding
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 81
- Māori
- 33
- Pacific
- 12
- Asian
- 1
- MELAA
- 2
- Other
- 1
- 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 01 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 15 |
| Year 02 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 03 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 04 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 05 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 |
| Year 06 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 08 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Total | 27 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 0 | 76 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 06 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 19 |
| Age 07 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 08 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Age 09 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 27 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 0 | 76 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
159.3%
| Tomarata School | 159.3% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 29.7% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 52.8% |
|---|---|
| Male | 240.1% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 165.4% |
| Total | 159.3% |
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
0%
| Tomarata School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 3% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
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 suspension rates data (2024)
Age-standardised exclusion rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Tomarata School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 1.4% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| 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)
- 468
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 31 January 1934
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
- 20 March 2025
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (7 December 2022)
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 December 2022 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 20 March 2025 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 8
catering for students in Years 1 to 8
- Years 1 to 8
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 20 March 2025 — “School Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School 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.
About the School
Tomarata school is a rural school catering for students in Years 1 to 8 near Wellsford in the Rodney District. The school roll is growing, more than 80 students attended in December 2024, approximately 20 percent of students are Māori . The school’s whakataukī is ‘ Poipoia te kakano kia puawai |Nurture the seed and it will blossom’. Since the 2022 ERO report, a new principal has been appointed and most teachers are new to the school.
Progress since December 2022 ERO report
ERO and the school have worked to evaluate how well the school’s vision, values and localised curriculum have impacted on student engagement and achievement. The school expected to see consistent school wide teaching practice, students provided with real life learning experiences and improved levels of achievement.
Students experience a rural school curriculum, through real life learning opportunities in the nature classroom, garden to table, and outdoor education programmes. The school has documented their curriculum, established consistent planning expectations for teachers, and invested in a specialist literacy teacher to provide additional support for students to make accelerated progress in reading.
Student information shows that attendance, and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics have improved slightly.
How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?
How well are learners succeeding? The school is working towards high levels of success and progress for all learners.
What is the quality of teaching and learning? The school is improving teaching and learning.
How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs? Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in literacy and mathematics. Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.
How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement? The school is establishing planning and conditions that support improvements in the quality of education for learners.
How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? The school reasonably promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners? The school reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress. The school is improving its collection and use of information gathered through community consultation to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.
Student Health and Safety The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.
Achievement in Years 0 to 8
This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.
Foundation Skills
Reading A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
The school is behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is developing a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards the target.
Chronic absence is reducing over time.
Assessment
The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Teachers are developing assessment information to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
Progress
The school is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
The school has to some extent improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
The school has to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
The school is making some progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
Part B - Findings for the school
This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.
Areas of Strength
Teaching programmes focus on foundation skills in reading, writing and mathematics; in addition, students are provided engaging and hands on learning opportunities.
Structured literacy and accelerated reading programmes are beginning to show lifts in overall achievement.
Students with additional learning needs are well supported through inclusive teaching to make progress and achieve success.
Well considered leadership decisions and professional development in mathematics, structured literacy, and assessment for learning have built staff capability, and are beginning to lift student achievement.
The board make strategic resourcing decisions with staffing to support better learning outcomes for all students and acceleration of progress in literacy for many students.
Te ao Māori, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori have significantly strengthened through additional consultation with mana whenua
Parents and whānau actively contribute their time and skills to enhance learning; the school continues to build effective learning partnerships with parents.
Key priorities and actions for improvement
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
implement and monitor the effectiveness of new initiatives to increase student attendance
consistency of teaching practice to increase excellent and equitable outcomes for all students and accelerate the progress of students not yet at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics
develop a graduate profile for Year 7 and 8 students to strengthen learning, leadership opportunities and transitions onto secondary school.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
consult with staff, students, and parents to gather feedback and ideas and develop the graduate profile
Every six months:
closely monitor the effectiveness of initiatives to improve the attendance of students who do not attend regularly and make adjustments where needed
report attendance trends and patterns to the board and parent community to determine any further action
Leaders regularly observe and provide feedback to teachers to build consistency of teaching practices
Annually:
analyse student achievement information and use it to inform future decision making including future professional development priorities
evaluate how well professional development programmes for teachers and consistency of teaching practice is shifting student progress and achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
increased achievement outcomes for all learners in reading, writing, and mathematics
consistent high-quality teacher practice
improved attendance, especially for those learners who do not attend regularly at present.
increased leadership opportunities for senior school students and strengthened transitions to secondary school.
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
During this review the Board has attested to some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:
Board Administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Personnel Management
Yes
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
Sharon Kelly Director of Schools (Acting)
20 March 2025
Education Counts
This 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 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).