Waitakere School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 405
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 10 Bethells Road, Auckland West, Auckland
- Territorial authority
- Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area
- Phone
- 09-8109607
- office@waitakereprimary.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Auckland
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.
- How to enrol
- http://www.waitakereprimary.school.nz/resources/sites/125/files/picker/wps-enrolment-forms-new-logo-2024-2.pdf
[In Zone Enrolment Form](http://www.waitakereprimary.school.nz/resources/sites/125/files/picker/wps-enrolment-forms-new-logo-2024-2.pdf)
- http://www.waitakereprimary.school.nz/resources/sites/125/files/picker/wps-enrolment-forms-new-logo-2024-2.pdf
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
- Waitākere Values The way we think and act
- Responsibility / Haepapatanga Respect / Manaakitanga Resilience / Manawaroa
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
- Kapa Haka
The school recognises the importance of offering Kapa Haka by including it as part of classroom programmes.
- SCHOOL PRODUCTION
- SHOW QUEST/ DANCE NZ DANCE FESTIVAL
- KIDS4KIDS CHOIR FESTIVAL
- weekly lunchtime beginner and advanced ukulele lessons
We offer fun, weekly lunchtime beginner and advanced ukulele lessons for those students who are interested.
- rock band
Our rock band is very popular at assemblies and community events and play together once a week.
- KEYBOARD/GUITAR/DRUM/SINGING LESSONS
- Netball
Netball is offered to each and every child at WPS.
- Basketball
Basketball is offered to every child at WPS.
- Playball
Playball is a sport and movement programme for 2-8 year olds.
- Kapa Haka
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 345
- Māori
- 65
- Pacific
- 37
- Asian
- 44
- MELAA
- 10
- 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 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 47 |
| Year 02 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 62 |
| Year 03 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 39 |
| Year 04 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 69 |
| Year 05 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 59 |
| Year 06 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 55 |
| Year 07 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 0 | 50 |
| Year 08 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 52 |
| Total | 74 | 37 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 346 | 0 | 433 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 48 |
| Age 06 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 59 |
| Age 07 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 39 |
| Age 08 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 67 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 62 |
| Age 10 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 58 |
| Age 11 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 45 |
| Age 12 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 48 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 74 | 37 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 346 | 0 | 433 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
14.3%
| Waitakere School | 14.3% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 29.7% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 22.2% |
|---|---|
| Male | 7% |
| Māori | 37.2% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 8.7% |
| Total | 14.3% |
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%
| Waitakere School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 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 | 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%
| Waitakere School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 1.4% |
| 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)
- 419
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural settlement
- Date opened
- 8 September 1921
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
- 5
- Last reviewed
- 5 December 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (5 December 2024)
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 5 December 2024 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 405 — 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
499
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 10 August 2018
May 2013
450
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 19 June 2013
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 5 December 2024 — “School Evaluation Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School Evaluation 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.
Context
Waitakere School is located in semi-rural West Auckland and provides education for learners in Years 0 to 8. The school promotes the ‘ Waitakere Way’ values as the foundation for learning and relationship-building. The school hosts some short-term groups of international students each year.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki /bilingual settings.
Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Achievement outcomes for students, including Māori learners, are increasingly excellent and equitable.
Almost all students are achieving at or above expected curriculum levels in reading and most in writing and mathematics; students with additional needs make appropriate progress in relation to their individual goals.
Data shows significant improvement for Māori learners in reading and writing; disparity remains in literacy and mathematics; girls outperform boys in writing.
Student voice gathered reports that learners feel safe and supported in their positive learning environment; they value their relationships with teachers and peers, and feel a strong sense of belonging.
The majority of students attend school regularly; the school is not yet meeting the 2024 Ministry of Education target, however data shows a significant increase in regular attendance since term 3, 2023.
Conditions to support learner success
Strategic, collaborative leadership fosters a culture committed to high quality teaching to improve outcomes for learners that are increasingly equitable and excellent.
Shared leadership continually focuses on school improvement, with expectations for high-quality teaching that are clear, consistent and effectively monitored.
Teachers’ professional development is targeted, well-planned and implemented to areas of priority for improving learning outcomes through the school’s localised curriculum.
Leaders actively mentor teachers to strengthen their practice, enhance teaching capabilities and provide a range of opportunities for professional growth.
Teachers and leaders continually adapt and sharpen consistency of teaching practice to raise student outcomes.
Teachers use a range of strategies that respond to learners’ needs, strengths, backgrounds and interests, promoting engagement in purposeful, well-paced learning opportunities.
Comprehensive systems for tracking and monitoring progress are in place, ensuring planning and teaching are responsive to the diverse needs of learners.
Positive environments and high levels of engagement are established, where learning time is maximised and teachers provide feedback to students that is specific to their learning; a key next step is to further strengthen practices that enhance students’ knowledge of their own learning.
Effective organisational conditions that underpin success in learning are strongly embedded in the school.
An established culture of trusting relationships and shared responsibility enables staff to work together to improve outcomes for learners.
Liaison with a variety of external agencies, and in-class support, contribute to positive inclusion and success for learners with additional needs.
The school’s values programme underpins and guides the ongoing focus on wellbeing for students.
The board works alongside leaders to ensure planning is strategic and well-focused on increasing success for learners.
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
continue to improve progress and achievement outcomes and attendance for all learners including targeted teaching for priority learners
further develop assessment practices across the school to support students’ knowledge of their own learning and next steps
utilise teachers’ growth mindset approach to manage curriculum and assessment change that benefits their practice and student outcomes.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
plan and implement professional learning opportunities to extend teachers’ growth mindsets to effectively manage beneficial change in education
review and explore approaches to increase consistency of assessment practices school-wide that align with annual planning and professional growth cycles
Annually:
monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of raising achievement for priority students and increasing equitable outcomes
continue to track, monitor and report on rates of student attendance
provide evidence-based reporting to the board in relation to schoolwide consistency of practice and responses to change management, and the impact of these on teaching and learner outcomes.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
sustained high levels of achievement, attendance and engagement for all learners, with increasingly equitable outcomes
changes in curriculum and assessment implemented in a timely, effective manner.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three 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
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
5 December 2024
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 5 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).