Whangarei Heads School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 142
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 28 Whangarei Heads School Road, Whangarei Heads
- Territorial authority
- Whangarei District
- Phone
- 09-4340844
- office@whangareiheads.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Whangārei · schools in Northland
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 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
- Our Values:
- We are all guided by our four core values:
- BELONGINGRESILIENCE
- CREATIVITYACHIEVEMENT
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
- swimming
Whole school events (swimming, cross country and athletics) are built up in classes throughout the term and children compete at their own level.
- cross country
Whole school events (swimming, cross country and athletics) are built up in classes throughout the term and children compete at their own level.
- athletics
Whole school events (swimming, cross country and athletics) are built up in classes throughout the term and children compete at their own level.
- hockey
There are a number of clubs attached to our school; hockey, netball, rugby union, cricket, gymnastics and football.
- netball
There are a number of clubs attached to our school; hockey, netball, rugby union, cricket, gymnastics and football.
- rugby union
There are a number of clubs attached to our school; hockey, netball, rugby union, cricket, gymnastics and football.
- cricket
There are a number of clubs attached to our school; hockey, netball, rugby union, cricket, gymnastics and football.
- gymnastics
There are a number of clubs attached to our school; hockey, netball, rugby union, cricket, gymnastics and football.
- football
There are a number of clubs attached to our school; hockey, netball, rugby union, cricket, gymnastics and football.
- ‘Summit Club’
Our senior students are part of the famous ‘Summit Club’. Aimed at providing a fitness challenge up Mount Manaia (on our doorstep), the tamariki run / walk up to the summit each week
- swimming
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 129
- Māori
- 21
- Pacific
- 3
- Asian
- 3
- MELAA
- 7
- 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 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Year 03 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 04 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 05 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 28 |
| Year 06 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 08 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 |
| Total | 19 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 124 | 0 | 138 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 06 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Age 07 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 17 |
| Age 08 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 18 |
| Age 09 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 27 |
| Age 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Age 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 19 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 124 | 0 | 138 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Whangarei Heads School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 52% |
| 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 | 0% |
| 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%
| Whangarei Heads School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 6.5% |
| 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%
| Whangarei Heads School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Northland Region | 2.7% |
| 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)
- 408
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural settlement
- Date opened
- 16 November 1858
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
- 4
- Last reviewed
- 21 July 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (21 July 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 21 July 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 142 — 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.
June 2017
108
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 7 September 2017
February 2014
113
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 16 May 2014
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 21 July 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 9 months of the Education Review Office and Whangarei Heads 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
Whangarei Heads School is located beneath Mt Manaia , overlooking the Whangarei Harbour. It provides education for ākonga in Years 0 to 8. A new principal was appointed during 2022.
Whangarei Heads School is part of the Ngā Kura mo te ako o Whangarei Kāhui Ako .
Whangarei Heads School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for ākonga are:
Our Students / ākonga – Our students and staff are engaged and empowered in their learning.
Our Environment / kaitiaki – Our environment drives our curriculum inside and outside the school gate.
Our Community / whakakotahitanga – Our partnerships are strong, authentic and active.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Whangarei Heads School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well systems and processes support collaboration and moderation practices to enhance teaching and learning to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all ākonga .
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
provide systems and processes that support collaboration and moderation practices within school and across schools, building on connections with Kāhui Ako and other local schools
continue to ensure teaching and learning is informed by reliable and culturally responsive assessment practices that personalises learning for all ākonga
develop and implement strategies’ to increase ākonga agency.
The school expects to see:
teachers consistently using culturally responsive assessment practices to inform personalised learning outcomes for all
teachers supporting ākonga to have agency in their learning across a broad school curriculum.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate how well systems and processes support collaboration and moderation practices to enhance teaching and learning to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes all ākonga :
ākonga experience a responsive broad localised curriculum driven by the local marine and bush environments
teachers use effective teaching strategies in adaptive ways to promote equity and improve ākonga outcomes
professional relationships and effective teaching practices that focus on learning and wellbeing of each ākonga
school leadership sustains a culture of relational trust to ensure ongoing capacity for continuous school improvement.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise continuing to:
build teacher knowledge and pedagogy that enhances culturally responsive assessment practices
align systems and processes that support internal and external moderation practices.
increase ākonga agency through learning and assessment activities.
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.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
21 July 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 4 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).