Waitara East School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 196
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Richmond Street, Waitara
- Territorial authority
- New Plymouth District
- Phone
- 06-7548334
- office@waitaraeast.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in New Plymouth · schools in Taranaki
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 55
- Māori
- 159
- Pacific
- 9
- Asian
- 1
- 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 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 30 |
| Year 02 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 37 |
| Year 03 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 36 |
| Year 04 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 34 |
| Year 05 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 36 |
| Year 06 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 38 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 169 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 215 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 23 |
| Age 06 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 42 |
| Age 07 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 36 |
| Age 08 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 33 |
| Age 09 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 36 |
| Age 10 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 41 |
| Age 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 169 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 215 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
103%
| Waitara East School | 103% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 41.7% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 191.6% |
| Māori | 134.1% |
| Pacific | 378.2% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 103% |
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%
| Waitara East School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 4.1% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| 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%
| Waitara East School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 1.6% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| 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)
- 532
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- Some students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 31 January 1954
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
- 12 May 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 12 May 2025 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 6
provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6
- Years 1 to 6
- Bilingual or immersion provision
- Reo rua unit of three classrooms offering level 2 te reo Māori immersion teaching
a reo rua unit comprising three classrooms that offer level 2 te reo Māori immersion teaching
- Reo rua unit of three classrooms offering level 2 te reo Māori immersion teaching
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 196 — 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.
February 2018
259
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 16 April 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 12 May 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.
About the School
Waitara East School is located in Waitara township and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school’s roll in 2024 was 224. The ethnic composition is Māori 76%, New Zealand/European 28% and Pacific 2%. Learners are encouraged to know and use the school’s ‘ MANA ’ values of manaakitanga (respecting others), angitu (doing my best), ngakaunui (caring for the environment), and aroha (caring for others).
The school has a reo rua unit comprising three classrooms that offer level 2 te reo Māori immersion teaching.
How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?
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 rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a 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? School planning and conditions to support ongoing improvement to the quality of education for learners are well established.
How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? The school is taking steps to improve learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners? The school reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress. The school responds well to a wide range of information gathered through community consultation, to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.
Student Health and Safety The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.
Achievement in Years 0 to 8
This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.
Foundation Skills
Reading A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A small majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
The school is significantly behind the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time.
Assessment
The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Assessment information is used well to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
Progress
The school has good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
The school has to some extent improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
The school has to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
The school is making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.
Part B: Findings for the school
This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.
Areas of Strength
Leaders and teachers know their learners well and are responsive to the needs of groups and individuals; the achievement and progress of all learners is closely tracked and monitored. Learners requiring additional support are identified promptly and receive targeted teaching focused on literacy and numeracy.
Learners’ inclusion and wellbeing is effectively supported by embedded teaching practices that promote belonging and wellbeing.
Cohesive, focused leadership increasingly strengthens school conditions to support learner success and wellbeing. Strategic planning is well informed by research and achievement information to improve learner outcomes.
Structured literacy practices are embedded; the school is well placed for future curriculum adjustments in mathematics.
The school curriculum is well designed, appropriately structured to support learning and makes good use of technology and local contexts. Learners experience a broad range of rich, meaningful learning opportunities; this promotes progress and achievement across the curriculum.
Staff capability is intentionally developed through a professional learning programme that clearly aligns with strategic goals for learner achievement.
Effective processes are in place that ensure all staff participate in regular, ongoing evaluation and review of their professional progress and effectiveness in meeting the needs of learners.
Key priorities and actions for improvement
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
strengthen and embed effective teaching practices across the school to improve outcomes for learners
improve outcomes for all learners in reading, writing and mathematics and address identified disparities in progress and achievement
ensure alignment of the schools’ mathematics programme with changes to The New Zealand Curriculum
implement and monitor the effectiveness of new initiatives to increase learner attendance.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Every six months:
carefully examine learner progress towards targets in reading, writing and mathematics adjusting programmes and resources to further accelerate progress
use the embedded professional growth cycle process to provide feedback to teachers on how well they are improving learner achievement
closely monitor the effectiveness of initiatives to improve the attendance of learners who do not attend regularly and adjust where needed
Annually:
review end of year data and use it to determine the next steps that will improve learners’ progress towards achievement targets
evaluate how well teaching practice in the school is improving learner progress and achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics
report on progress made in implementing changes in the English and mathematics curriculum and identify any next steps for teacher capability building to promote learner engagement, progress and achievement
report to the board on progress towards achieving the Government’s attendance targets.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
increased achievement outcomes for all learners in reading, writing, and mathematics
sustained, high-quality teaching that has a focus on improving and sustaining outcomes for all learners
English and mathematics curriculum changes that are well embedded in school teaching programmes and impact positively on learner outcomes
improved attendance, especially for those learners who do not attend regularly at present.
Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
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
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 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
Sharon Kelly Director of Schools (Acting)
12 May 2025
Education Counts
This 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 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).