Waitara High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · State
- Year levels
- 9–13
- Total roll
- 440
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 18 Princess Street, Waitara
- Territorial authority
- New Plymouth District
- Phone
- 06-7547514
- office@waitarahs.school.nz
- Website
- http://waitarahs.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in New Plymouth · schools in Taranaki
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.
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
- Girls Football
- Hockey
- Basketball
- Girls Basketball
- Nikau Netball Team
- Rimu Netball Team
- Ranginui Netball Team
- Senior Girls Volleyball
- Junior Girls GOLD Volleyball
- Junior Girls BLUE Volleyball
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 263
- Māori
- 267
- Pacific
- 22
- Asian
- 3
- MELAA
- 0
- Other
- 4
- 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 09 | 63 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 0 | 109 |
| Year 10 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 65 | 0 | 107 |
| Year 11 | 67 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 96 |
| Year 12 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 71 |
| Year 13+ | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 52 |
| Total | 258 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 264 | 0 | 435 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Age 13 | 52 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 53 | 0 | 88 |
| Age 14 | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 0 | 97 |
| Age 15 | 72 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | 110 |
| Age 16 | 41 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 72 |
| Age 17 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 49 |
| Age 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 19+ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 258 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 264 | 0 | 435 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
77.7%
| Waitara High School | 77.7% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 88.4% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 88% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 86.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | 70% |
| Māori | 77.2% |
| Pacific | 50% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 78.9% |
| Total | 77.7% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 1 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or above — 2025
70.2%
| Waitara High School | 70.2% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 79.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 81% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 79.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 62% |
| Māori | 68.4% |
| Pacific | 50% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 73.7% |
| Total | 70.2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 2 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 3 or above — 2025
46.8%
| Waitara High School | 46.8% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 58.2% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 61.8% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 54.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 40% |
| Māori | 45.6% |
| Pacific | 16.7% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 49.1% |
| Total | 46.8% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
8.5%
| Waitara High School | 8.5% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 17.3% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 15.2% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 15.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 2% |
| Māori | 10.5% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 10.5% |
| Total | 8.5% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison Vocational Pathway data (2023-2025)
Retention
Percentage staying until at least 17th birthday — 2025
66%
| Waitara High School | 66% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 76.9% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 83.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 81.8% |
|---|---|
| Male | 52% |
| Māori | 61.4% |
| Pacific | 50% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 70.2% |
| Total | 66% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
— 2024
not reported
| Other | not reported |
|---|---|
| Female | not reported |
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
66.2%
| Waitara High School | 66.2% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 41.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 35.8% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 62.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | 70% |
| Māori | 76.2% |
| Pacific | 169.1% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 61.9% |
| Total | 66.2% |
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
1.1%
| Waitara High School | 1.1% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 4.1% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 4% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 2.1% |
| Māori | 1.8% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 1.9% |
| Total | 1.1% |
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 High School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Taranaki Region | 1.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 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)
- 524
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- Some students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Small urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1947
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
- 16 February 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (16 February 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 16 February 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 440 — 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.
April 2019
380
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 4 July 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 16 February 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 20 months of the Education Review Office and Waitara High 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
Waitara High School is a co-educational high school located in Waitara, Taranaki . It caters for learners from year 9 to 13. The school’s vision is to develop active and inspired lifelong learners who have a strong sense of belonging and belief.
Waitara High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
to raise the attendance, engagement, and achievement of all students to attain their personal best
to ensure Māori students can attain NCEA Level 1 Numeracy and Literacy in Year 11 and at least NCEA Level 2 overall as an exit qualification
to ensure a culturally responsive and safe environment where all resourcing supports improved student achievement and wellbeing
to strengthen relationships and partnerships within the school; with iwi and hapū; and in the local and wider community
to develop excellence in teaching, leadership, management, and governance to support improved student achievement and wellbeing.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Waitara High School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent that all learners attain their personal best.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
learners attaining their personal best is a strategic aim
the school wants to identify and action culturally responsive and effective strategies that engage all learners to achieve their goals.
The school expects to see:
deliberate selection and use of culturally responsive teaching strategies to engage and challenge all learners to achieve their personal best
increased rates of attendance, engagement, wellbeing, and achievement along with increased proportions of endorsements in NCEA
strengthened learning relationships between whānau, kaiako and ākonga to collaboratively develop clear plans that support each learner to achieve their goals.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the extent that all learners attain their personal best:
a relational culture of trust that supports learning and is increasingly culturally responsive
a planned approach to professional learning that uses internal and external expertise
processes and systems that track the achievement of all learners
school leaders who are focused on achieving excellence and equity for all by systematically identifying and mitigating barriers to learning.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
continuing to embed and sustain a culture of high expectations
evaluating the effectiveness of culturally responsive strategies that best engage learners
further building the capacity of ākonga, whānau and kaiako to collaboratively develop clear plans that support each learner to achieve their personal best
ongoing identification and mitigation of barriers to learning to further ensure equitable access to learning.
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.
Phil Cowie Director Review and Improvement Services (Central) Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
16 February 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).