Waimataitai School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 463
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 25 Trafalgar Street, Timaru
- Territorial authority
- Timaru District
- Phone
- 03-6845566
- office@waimataitai.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Canterbury
Can my child go here?
This school has an enrolment scheme, so a place is not open to every address. How enrolment zones work
Loading zone map…
Zone boundaries shown here are approximate. Ministry of Education data warns these boundaries do not have high spatial precision and can place neighbouring addresses on different sides of a line. This is not a confirmation of enrolment eligibility — always confirm directly with the school. Zone geometry also does not reflect enrolment priority rules (siblings, special character categories, ballots) — it shows the mapped boundary only.
Check if your address is in zone →
Source: Ministry of Education, CC BY 3.0 NZ
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.
- Uniform
- Required
Uniform Description The Uniform is described as follows: - Shorts - cotton drill with school logo placed on the leg
- Required
- Where to buy the uniform
- https://waimataitaischool.nzuniforms.com/
You may also order online via NZ Unforms by clicking [here.](https://waimataitaischool.nzuniforms.com/)
- https://waimataitaischool.nzuniforms.com/
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 274
- Māori
- 68
- Pacific
- 48
- Asian
- 75
- MELAA
- 19
- Other
- 13
- 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 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 45 |
| Year 02 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 57 |
| Year 03 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 0 | 45 |
| Year 04 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 0 | 56 |
| Year 05 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 54 |
| Year 06 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 49 | 0 | 80 |
| Year 07 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 48 | 0 | 85 |
| Year 08 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 41 | 0 | 66 |
| Total | 90 | 48 | 75 | 24 | 12 | 297 | 0 | 488 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 42 |
| Age 06 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 59 |
| Age 07 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 44 |
| Age 08 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 56 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 56 |
| Age 10 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 54 | 0 | 81 |
| Age 11 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 67 |
| Age 12 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 0 | 66 |
| Age 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 90 | 48 | 75 | 24 | 12 | 297 | 0 | 488 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
115.9%
| Waimataitai School | 115.9% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 44.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 189.9% |
| Māori | 187.4% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 118.5% |
| European/Pākehā | 129.2% |
| Total | 115.9% |
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%
| Waimataitai School | 4% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 8% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 6.3% |
| Total | 4% |
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
4.1%
| Waimataitai School | 4.1% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 8.1% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 6.4% |
| Total | 4.1% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 464
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Medium urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1882
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
- 2
- Last reviewed
- 18 September 2025
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- not reported
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 18 September 2025 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 8
provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8
- Years 1 to 8
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 463 — 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 2018
448
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 18 June 2018
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 18 September 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.
Every New Zealand state and state integrated school has an ERO review at least once every four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.
About the School
Waimataitai School provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school’s roll of approximately 500 students has a growing and increasingly diverse roll. 64% of students identify as New Zealand Pākehā | New Zealand European, 18% identify as Māori , 13% identify as Asian, 9% identify as having Pacific heritage, and 6% identify as Middle Eastern, Latin American and/or African. The school has established a Community Learning Education Hub onsite to support migrant families. There have been recent changes in the leadership team.
The school’s vision is Connected, Willing and Able . The school aims for its students to develop the WAI Learner attributes of being respectful, motivated, curious, reflective and being team players .
Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement, school enrolments and school zones. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
An explanation of the terms and judgements used in this report can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
What we know about learner success
This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.
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? Learners benefit from good quality teaching practice that improves progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
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 is improving its reporting 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 needs to ensure a physically and emotionally safe learning environment.
Achievement in Years 0 to 8
This section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.
Less than a third Less than half Small majority Large majority Most Almost all
0 to 33% 34 to 49% 50 to 65% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%
Reading A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are not yet equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.
The small majority of learners attend school regularly.
The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school is developing a suitable plan to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.
Assessment
This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.
The school is not yet using an appropriate approach and reliable 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
This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.
The school is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
The school is yet to show whether it has improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
The school has yet to show whether it has extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
The school is not making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets and/or pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
Next steps for improvement
This section provides more detail for the school to include in its strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. It outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.
Areas of Strength
The school has well established expectations and practices for fostering positive behaviour for learning.
Learners report having people they can go to for support, having a sense of belonging and having opportunities to lead and contribute within their school.
Leaders and teachers value the diverse cultures of their learners.
Teachers have been building their capacity to deliver inclusive structured literacy and mathematics practices.
Significant resourcing is being provided to support learners with a wide range of needs to participate and learn alongside their peers.
Teachers are well supported and have many opportunities to participate in professional development, collaborate and share effective practice.
Key priorities
Develop schoolwide teaching, assessment and reporting practices in literacy and mathematics.
Align teaching, assessment and reporting practices with the New Zealand Curriculum and provide clear, coherent guidelines for teachers.
Refine and embed achievement targets to accelerate the learning of identified learners.
Evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and interventions for improving the achievement and progress of learners.
Increase regular attendance rates to meet the Government’s target.
Actions to bring about improvement
Within six months:
leaders and teachers develop a schoolwide assessment plan for literacy and mathematics and provide clear and coherent guideline for teachers
leaders and teachers develop and align school planning, monitoring and reporting practices to help accelerate learners’ progress and achievement
Every six months:
leaders and teachers report to the Board on learner’s progress including the strategies used to accelerate their progress to their guide decision making
leaders and teachers review progress towards attendance targets and use this information and learner and whānau feedback to adjust strategies as required
Annually:
the Board and leaders review information about the impact of teaching, assessment and reporting practices across the school to identify areas for improvement, professional learning needs and next steps to improve learner outcomes
the Board and leaders review the progress and achievement of target learners, and the impact of strategies to support and accelerate their learning, to inform target setting and resourcing decisions
the Board and leaders and use data and information about the impact of attendance strategies on student attendance rates to adjust as required.
Expected outcomes
Consistent teaching, assessment and reporting practices to support progress, achievement and equity in literacy and mathematics.
Improved achievement and reduced disparity in learner outcomes, particularly in writing.
Improved engagement and attendance for all learners.
Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements.
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.
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
Actions for Compliance
ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the Board assurance process:
The school must check two identity documents and evidence referee checking and sighting qualifications as part of safety checking of the workforce [Sections 25, 26 and 27, Children’s Act 2014: Safety checks of children’s workers; Regulations 5 – 8, Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015].
Police vetting for non-teaching staff must be obtained prior to employment and every three years [Section 104 and Schedule 4, Education and Training Act 2020].
The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.
The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within 4 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
18 September 2025
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 2 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).