Waituna Creek School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 30
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 178 Waituna School Road, Waimate
- Territorial authority
- Waimate District
- Phone
- 03-6897438
- office@waitunacreek.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Canterbury
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 26
- Māori
- 5
- Pacific
- 2
- Asian
- 0
- MELAA
- 0
- 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Year 03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 04 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Year 06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Year 08 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 27 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 08 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Age 09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Age 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Age 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Age 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 27 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
156.9%
| Waituna Creek School | 156.9% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 38.3% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 282.7% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 187.1% |
| Total | 156.9% |
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
142.1%
| Waituna Creek School | 142.1% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 3.7% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 246.8% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 174.4% |
| Total | 142.1% |
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
140.3%
| Waituna Creek School | 140.3% |
|---|---|
| Canterbury Region | 1.7% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 245.9% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 168% |
| Total | 140.3% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 448
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 13 July 1879
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
- 29 September 2025
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (8 July 2022)
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 8 July 2022 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.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 29 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
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 29 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
Waituna Creek School is located in Waimate and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school roll is 31. NZ European/ Pākehā make up the largest proportion of all learners (87%), with 10% of students identifying as Māori , 3% of Pacific heritage and smaller numbers from other ethnicities. A new principal was appointed in 2023. The school’s vision is Inspiring learners to lead their community into a stronger future. The values of the school are Relationships, Resilience and Respect .
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
Improvement and progress
This section is about the progress the school has made since the July 2022 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.
Expected improvement
During the previous ERO review, the school identified as a priority the enhancement of its local, culturally responsive curriculum to more effectively address the needs and aspirations of both learners and their whānau .
Findings
The school leader and teachers have implemented an integrated learning programme centred on the local environment. This provides students with meaningful and authentic learning experiences through an environmental lens. Learners are demonstrating increased levels of engagement in these learning programmes. Teachers continue to deepen their knowledge and understanding of local Māori stories and history to further enrich and support the learning context.
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? Success and progress for all learners is increasing.
What is the quality of teaching and learning? Learners benefit from high 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 an increasingly consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational 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 successfully 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 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 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 Most 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 Most 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 students attend school regularly.
The school is behind 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 reducing over time.
Assessment
This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.
The school is improving its approach and the reliability of its practices to accurately find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Teachers are developing their use of 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 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.
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
Learners benefit from a positive school culture that fosters a strong sense of belonging through affirming and supportive relationships with staff and peers.
Teachers know their learners well and tailor programmes to meet individual needs. They use collaborative and responsive practices to ensure all learners are appropriately supported to succeed.
Learners express enjoyment of engaging, authentic learning experiences that support active participation, and classrooms are calm, focused and purposeful learning environments.
School leadership is clearly focused on strategic direction aligned with learning priorities to improve outcomes for learners.
A structured approach to teaching mathematics is becoming embedded across the school, and a new structured literacy programme has been introduced.
Strong professional networks give teachers access to quality professional development opportunities that builds their capability.
Key priorities
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
Improve students’ attendance and raise achievement, particularly in writing.
Enhance strategic planning to focus clearly on improving outcomes for students.
Develop the school’s curriculum to align with current best practice.
strengthen a consistent, schoolwide approach to assessment to better inform teaching.
Develop an internal evaluation system to identify strengths, areas for improvement, and enable the School Board to review its own performance.
Actions to bring about improvement
Within three months:
the School Board and principal review and update the strategic plan to clearly focus on improving learner outcomes
the School Board and principal strengthen the school’s attendance plan and actively promote its importance to whānau and families
Within six months:
the principal and teachers develop clear curriculum and assessment guidelines to set expectations and ensure consistency across the school to support learning
the School Board and principal explore and implement an internal evaluation process to support ongoing improvement
Every six months:
the School Board and principal monitor the effectiveness of the attendance plan in improving regular attendance rates
the principal and teachers evaluate and report on the effectiveness of changes to teaching practices, and how assessment information is used to track progress toward achievement targets
Annually:
the principal and the School Board report to the community on the effectiveness of the attendance plan in improving regular attendance, and use the findings to guide strategic planning
the principal and teachers evaluate and report to the School Board on the effectiveness of curriculum and assessment implementation, and their impact on learner progress and achievement
the School Board and principal review and update the strategic plan to clearly identify key priorities to support ongoing improvement .
Expected outcomes
Increased rates of regular attendance.
Strategic planning clearly identifies improvement priorities and focuses on enhancing progress and achievement for all learners.
An established curriculum statement and assessment schedule that is consistently used to guide teaching practice.
A regular cycle of internal evaluation that provides evidence of its impact on learner outcomes.
Regulatory and Legislative Requirements
This section of the report is about how the school meet 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:
every safety check of a person must comply with the requirements for safety checks of core workers. [Section 31 Children’s Act 2014]
The board has 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 four years.
Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki L et’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children
Sharon Kelly Director of Schools
29 September 2025
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).