Waikaka School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 59
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 22 Matheson Road, Gore
- Territorial authority
- Gore District
- Phone
- 03-2072887
- office@waikaka.school.nz
- Website
- http://waikaka.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Southland
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 55
- Māori
- 3
- Pacific
- 0
- Asian
- 3
- MELAA
- 1
- 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 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Year 02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Year 03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Year 04 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Year 05 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 07 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Year 08 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0 | 67 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Age 06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Age 07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 08 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Age 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Age 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0 | 67 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Waikaka School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Southland Region | 61.8% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
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%
| Waikaka School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Southland Region | 6.3% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Waikaka School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Southland Region | 2.8% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 430
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 25 January 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
- 4
- Last reviewed
- 25 May 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (25 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 25 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 59 — 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.
March 2019
57
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 8 May 2019
November 2015
59
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 14 December 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 25 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 six months of the Education Review Office and Waikaka 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
Waikaka School is situated in Eastern Southland, 26 km north of Gore. Waikaka School provides education for students in Years 1 – 8. Their mission statement is: Learning for Life. He puna matauranga mutungakore |A pool of learning / knowledge that never dies. The school has been part of the Pomāhaka Kāhui Ako for six years.
Waikaka School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
all students will be learners for life - he akonga whaimatauranga (students forever in pursuit of knowledge)
building a positive school community environment - he wāhi whakamana (a space of uplifting)
celebrating our rural character on a global stage - tu ana ki te āo, tau ana (to stand proudly on the world stage.)
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Waikaka School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively teachers implement culturally responsive practices.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
leaders wish to develop a curriculum that truly honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi and better reflects Aotearoa New Zealand’s bi-cultural heritage
teachers are undertaking professional learning programmes to strengthen their cultural capability.
The school expects to see:
teachers developing culturally responsive practices that are effective for all learners
Māori students and their whanau will see their language and culture is valued at Waikaka School
Māori students experiencing success as Māori .
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how effectively teachers implement culturally responsive practices:
a teaching team who actively seek opportunities to grow their capability to teach in a culturally responsive way
high expectations for excellent and equitable learning outcomes for all students
a strong commitment to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi .
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
engaging with whānau to explore and define how students might experience success as Māori
developing a curriculum plan for te ao Māori , which identifies te reo progressions through the school and provides clear guidelines for teachers
developing schoolwide tikanga to establish and embed culturally appropriate protocols within the school context
professional learning for staff to continue to strengthen their confidence and capability in tikanga and te reo Māori
building meaningful relationships with iwi to grow partnerships, inform the school’s curriculum plans and support rich and authentic outcomes for all learners.
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
25 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).