Waitakaruru School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 92
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 6 Canal West Road, Waitakaruru
- Territorial authority
- Hauraki District
- Phone
- 07-8673155
- admin@waitakaruru.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Waikato
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
- Not required
We do not have a school uniform, but will issue school shirts if students are representing our school at outside events.
- Not required
- How to enrol
- https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/2069
Here is a link to our enrolment form: https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/2069
- https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/2069
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
- Where children’s hopes and dreams are treasured
- He taonga o tatou tamariki
- We actively live by the values of :
- S elf-management,
- H onesty,
- A spirations,
- R espect and
- P ersistence.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 77
- Māori
- 21
- Pacific
- 5
- Asian
- 4
- MELAA
- 1
- 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 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 02 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Year 03 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Year 04 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 05 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 06 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| Year 07 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| Year 08 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12 |
| Total | 28 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 72 | 0 | 90 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 06 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 10 |
| Age 07 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Age 08 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 28 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 72 | 0 | 90 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
273.2%
| Waitakaruru School | 273.2% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 53.9% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 69.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | 417.2% |
| Māori | 230.8% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 471.9% |
| European/Pākehā | 256.4% |
| Total | 273.2% |
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%
| Waitakaruru School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 6.6% |
| 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%
| Waitakaruru School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Waikato Region | 2.4% |
| 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)
- 493
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 31 March 1902
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 July 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board did not attest to all areas (20 July 2023)
Areas the board did not attest to, in ERO’s words: Personnel Management. The report says what that meant and what happened next.
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 same report — the board assurance report of 20 July 2023 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.
ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
a police vet had not been obtained every three years for every person, contractor or employee who works at the school. [Education and Training Act 2020, Schedule 4]
The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.
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 92 — 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.
June 2019
73
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 7 November 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 20 July 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 Waitakaruru 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
Waitakaruru School is located in the Hauraki District and provides education for students in Years 0 to 8. The school’s SHARP values ( Self-discipline, Honesty, Aspiration, Respect, Perseverance ) and graduate profile provide a foundation for its pastoral system and localised curriculum.
Waitakaruru School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
ensure every student is able to gain their highest possible standard in educational achievement
ensure the school is a physically and emotionally safe place
ensure the school is inclusive and caters for students with differing learning needs.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Waitakaruru School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which strengthened wellbeing practices are improving resilience, engagement and learning outcomes for all students.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
the need to respond to a significant number of students who require support
the significant difference this focus will make to learners most at risk of underachieving.
The school expects to see:
a wellbeing framework guiding a coherent, comprehensive approach to wellbeing and engagement
a range of strategies being implemented to promote wellbeing and engagement that respond effectively to individual students’ needs
improved student resilience, engagement and wellbeing leading to improved learning outcomes.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to improve learner outcomes:
strengthened systems and practices for identifying students with additional needs and tracking their progress
relationships within and beyond the school that promote connection and inclusion
leadership that is committed to developing an inclusive environment that meets the needs of individual learners.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
developing a comprehensive and coherent approach to wellbeing based around the SHARP values
continuing to strengthen staff understanding of responsive wellbeing strategies
implementing a range of wellbeing practices to support increased engagement and resilience
using student wellbeing data and student achievement information to monitor the impact of improvements to wellbeing practices.
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
20 July 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).