Totara School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 18
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 633 Fortification Road, Alma
- Territorial authority
- Waitaki District
- Phone
- 03-4345940
- office@totara.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.totara.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Otago
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
- School bus for students within the school area, and a Pearsons bus for students from Oamaru township (not provided by the school)
The school provides bus service for all students. This bus service also links with the after school OSCAR programme. There is a bus for those who are within the current school area. Pearsons also provide a bus for those students from town who come to our school but this is not provided by school. Parents should contact Pearsons directly to find out the cost of using this service.
- School bus for students within the school area, and a Pearsons bus for students from Oamaru township (not provided by the school)
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
- At Totara School we all need to make RICH Choices.
- By making these choices students show themselves to be Respectful, Inclusive, Caring and Honest.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 17
- Māori
- 2
- Pacific
- 0
- 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.
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 01 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 02 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Year 04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Year 05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 06 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 07 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 06 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Age 07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Age 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
99.4%
| Totara School | 99.4% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 206.6% |
| Māori | 68.9% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 137.2% |
| Total | 99.4% |
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%
| Totara School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 4.6% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Totara School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 2% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 450
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 17 June 1883
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
- 31 August 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (31 August 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 31 August 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 18 — 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.
May 2019
43
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 7 August 2019
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 31 August 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 six months of the Education Review Office and Totara 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
Totara School is situated in North Otago and provides education for students in Years 1 – 8.
Totara School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
create learners earners who achieve their full potential regardless of gender or ethnicity
grow a positive and inclusive environment that promotes wellness and resilience for students and staff
engage with the community, inspiring them to be partners; working together for the benefit of all students
gather and grow a quality team of educators and leaders who have the skills, passion and dedication to help make a difference for our students and their whānau .
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Totara School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which all learners experience success in a curriculum that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi .
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
leaders are developing a curriculum that better reflects Aotearoa New Zealand’s bi-cultural heritage
teachers are undertaking professional learning programmes to strengthen their cultural capabilities.
The school expects to see:
students experiencing their learning through a culturally rich, local curriculum that is responsive to learners’ languages and identities
meaningful engagement with whānau, iwi community to strengthen partnerships, inform the school’s curriculum plans and support rich and authentic outcomes for all learners.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the extent to which all learners experience success in a curriculum that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi :
excellent and equitable learning outcomes for students in literacy and mathematics
an inclusive and welcoming environment that strengthens learning outcomes for diverse learners
a teaching team which actively seeks opportunities to grow their culturally responsive teaching practices.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
collaborating with whānau, iwi and community to develop a curriculum plan for te ao Māori , which identifies te reo and tikanga progressions through the school and provides clear guidelines for teachers
professional learning for staff to continue to strengthen their confidence and capability in tikanga and te reo Māori .
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
31 August 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 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).