Waiwera South School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 31
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- May Street, Waiwera South
- Territorial authority
- Clutha District
- Phone
- 03-4157973
- office@waiwerasouth.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Otago
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 24
- Māori
- 3
- Pacific
- 0
- Asian
- 4
- MELAA
- 2
- 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 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Year 02 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Year 03 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Year 04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Year 06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Year 07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Year 08 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 26 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 06 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Age 08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Age 09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Age 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Age 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 26 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Waiwera South School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
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%
| Waiwera South School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 4.6% |
| 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 | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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%
| Waiwera South School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 2% |
| 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 | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| 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)
- 439
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 25 May 1869
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
- 9 April 2026
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (22 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 22 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 9 April 2026 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 8
provides education for students in Years 1 to 8
- Years 1 to 8
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 9 April 2026 — “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
Waiwera South School provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The current school roll is 30. A majority of learners identify as Pākehā / New Zealand European, 17% identify as Māori and smaller group from other ethnic backgrounds. The school’s vision is to Nurture, Inspire, Grow. The values – Respect, responsibility, Honesty, Ora .
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 improvements
The school prioritised ensuring that all students have equitable opportunities to learn and succeed and those students who need to, make accelerated progress in literacy.
Findings
A sustained focus is evident on strengthening teaching practice and embedding structured literacy approaches in teaching. Evidence-informed practices across all levels of the school show outcomes for students in reading and writing continue to improve over time. Disparity between groups of students is reducing with a significant improvement in outcomes for boys in writing.
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 sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a 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? 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 reasonably 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 board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.
Achievement in 1 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 64% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%
Reading Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are becoming more 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 large majority of learners attend school regularly.
The school is approaching 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 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.
Assessment information is used well 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
Learner’s experience caring, supportive and inclusive learning environments created by teachers who know the students well and foster their participation and engagement. Outcomes for learners are high and continue to improve.
Teachers and leaders have established strong community partnerships that guide the school’s vision and values and inform improvement priorities.
The school effectively works in partnerships with external support agencies and the local community to enhance the wellbeing and engagement of students and their whānau .
A collaborative staff and leadership team prioritise and plan for school improvement, with a consistent focus on equity of outcomes for priority learners.
Structured approaches to literacy and mathematics are prioritised, with teachers and leaders continually enhancing their knowledge and capacity through ongoing professional development.
Key priorities
Embed and strengthen structured approaches to literacy and mathematics to increase equity between groups of students.
Enhance and embed new assessment practices to inform next steps in learning and strategic priorities.
Evaluate and expand strategies that improve regular student attendance.
Actions to bring about improvement
Every six months:
leaders report to the Waiwera South School Board on student progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, including groups of students, to show the impact of planned actions and planing to response to emerging trends
teachers and leaders use evidence to review how well school initiatives are helping improve student attendance and outcomes
the school Board and leaders review attendance strategies and progress towards improving regular rates of attendance, and use this information to identify next steps
Annually:
the school Board, in consultation with the community, uses student attendance, progress and achievement information to set strategic priorities and guide resourcing decisions
leaders, teachers and the School Board evaluate teaching approaches to understand their impact on learner engagement and outcomes and use these insights to inform future improvement priorities.
Expected outcomes
Structured and consistent literacy and mathematics teaching.
Assessment practices lead to improved achievement and greater equity of outcomes across learner groups.
Improved rates of regular attendance and reduced chronic absence.
Regulatory and legislative requirements
This section of the report is about how the school meets 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 meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:
Board administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of health, safety and welfare
Yes
Personnel management
Yes
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 Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children
Sharon Kelly Director of Schools
9 April 2026
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).