Twizel Area School
Composite · State
- Year levels
- not reported
- Total roll
- 251
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Mt Cook Street, Twizel
- Territorial authority
- Mackenzie District
- Phone
- 03-4350650
- office@twizel.school.nz
- Website
- https://www.twizel.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
- 3.00pm
School Concludes 3.00pm
- 3.00pm
- Uniform
Not stated on the school’s website.
- Getting there
- School bus: students are dropped off at the school's designated bus parking spot each morning, and at the end of the day all bus students meet Ms. Evans (the Bus Controller) to be signed off before boarding
School Bus Procedures To ensure the safety and accountability of all students traveling to and from school, please familiarize yourself with our daily bus protocols: Morning Arrival: Students will be dropped off at the school’s designated bus parking spot each morning. Afternoon Departure: At the end of the school day, all bus students must meet Ms. Evans (our Bus Controller) to be officially signed off before boarding.
- School bus: students are dropped off at the school's designated bus parking spot each morning, and at the end of the day all bus students meet Ms. Evans (the Bus Controller) to be signed off before boarding
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
- TAS Swimming Sports
To every student who stepped onto the starting blocks for the TAS Swimming Sports
- annual TAS Athletics Day
Our annual TAS Athletics Day is fast approaching on Wednesday, March 18th, held right here on the school field.
- rowing
The rowing season is reaching its peak, and the excitement is building as both the South Island Secondary Schools (SISS) Championships and the prestigious Maadi Cup are just around the corner. We are incredibly proud to have two of our dedicated TAS athletes competing in the highly competitive U17 category this year. These girls have put in countless early mornings on the water and grueling sessions on the ergs to prepare for the national stage. We wish them the absolute best of luck as they represent Twizel Area School against the best young rowers in the country
- Rippa Rugby
The Rippa Rugby action returns on March 13th.
- TAS Swimming Sports
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 202
- Māori
- 39
- Pacific
- 8
- Asian
- 36
- MELAA
- 6
- Other
- 3
- 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 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 25 |
| Year 02 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| Year 03 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 20 |
| Year 04 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 05 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 06 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 21 |
| Year 07 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 08 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 21 |
| Year 09 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 11 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 20 |
| Year 12 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 13+ | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Total | 53 | 9 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 195 | 0 | 242 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 25 |
| Age 06 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 07 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 21 |
| Age 08 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 18 |
| Age 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 11 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 21 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 14 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 15 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| Age 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Age 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 19+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 53 | 9 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 195 | 0 | 242 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
100%
| Twizel Area School | 100% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 87.1% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 91.4% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 100% |
|---|---|
| Male | 100% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Not applicable |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | Too few to report |
| Total | 100% |
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%
| Twizel Area School | 100% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 79.6% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 86% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 100% |
|---|---|
| Male | 100% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Not applicable |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | Too few to report |
| Total | 100% |
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
69.2%
| Twizel Area School | 69.2% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 59% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 71.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 66.7% |
|---|---|
| Male | 71.4% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Not applicable |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | Too few to report |
| Total | 69.2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
30.8%
| Twizel Area School | 30.8% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 13.7% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 16% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 50% |
|---|---|
| Male | 14.3% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Not applicable |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | Too few to report |
| Total | 30.8% |
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
84.6%
| Twizel Area School | 84.6% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 83.6% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 86.6% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 83.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.7% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | Not applicable |
| Asian | Not applicable |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | Too few to report |
| Total | 84.6% |
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
65.1%
| Twizel Area School | 65.1% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 26.5% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 26.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 103.3% |
| Māori | 79.6% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 50% |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 48.7% |
| Total | 65.1% |
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
4.3%
| Twizel Area School | 4.3% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 3.2% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 8.6% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 5.4% |
| Total | 4.3% |
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%
| Twizel Area School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| Composite (Year 1-15) | 1.2% |
| 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)
- 452
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 31 January 1970
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
- 4
- Last reviewed
- 29 May 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (29 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 29 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 251 — 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.
September 2019
221
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 20 January 2020
November 2015
207
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 1 March 2016
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 29 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 19 months of the Education Review Office and Twizel Area 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
Twizel Area School is located in Te Manahuna | the Mackenzie Basin and provides co-educational learning for students from Years 1 to 13. The school’s vision is to develop future leaders by nurturing their emerging passions and to enable learners to be inspired, to collaborate with others and achieve their personal goals. Learning is supported by the WAKA values of: whānaukataka | kinship; awhinataka | nuture; kaitiakitaka | guardianship; and ārahi | leadership. An experienced principal joined the school in 2021.
Twizel Area School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
develop a curriculum and educational facility that is responsive to cultures, needs, interests, and aspirations for all
strengthen resilience and wellbeing for all students and staff
foster authentic learning partnerships with whānau and the wider community.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Twizel Area School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which strengthened student agency improves engagement and achievement in the years 7 to 10.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school has:
analysed feedback from Years 7 to 10 students which identified the need to refine learning to better meet the diverse needs of future learners
prioritised the need to build on student agency and strengthen the use of digital portfolios
recognised its curriculum needs further development so it is more responsive to cultures, needs, interests and aspirations for all.
The school expects to see:
a revised, responsive curriculum implemented in the middle school, informed by student voice, aligned with key competencies, and the school’s WAKA values and goals, which sets aspirational achievement and progress targets
increased learner engagement in, and ownership of, their learning resulting in improved achievement
digital portfolios of learning and achievement shared with whānau by students to foster authentic learning partnerships.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the extent to which strengthened student agency improves engagement and achievement in the Years 7 to 10:
the WAKA values, recently developed in consultation with the community, are informing meaningful curriculum development
support and teaching staff engage collaboratively in professional learning that enhances teaching practices and curriculum design
the systematic collection, analysis, and review of data informs programmes for learning
upskilling students, staff and whānau in digital fluencies is extending partnerships for learning
the new leadership team is working collaboratively to deliver the school’s strategic direction.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
continuing to investigate the needs, aspirations, and interests of learners and their whānau to broaden opportunities for learning
further development of the graduate profile and values system so they align with and are implemented throughout the curriculum
targeted professional learning in utilising student agency and digital portfolios to inform learning design.
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
29 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 4 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).