William Colenso College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · State
- Year levels
- 7–13
- Total roll
- 366
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 21 Arnold Street, Onekawa, Napier
- Territorial authority
- Napier City
- Phone
- 06-8310180
- postmaster@colenso.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.colenso.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Napier · schools in Hawke’s Bay
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.
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.
- How to enrol
- http://www.colenso.school.nz/enrolment/pre-enrolment-application/
Please click on [Pre-Enrolment Application](http://www.colenso.school.nz/enrolment/pre-enrolment-application/) to start the enrolment process for your son/daughter.
- http://www.colenso.school.nz/enrolment/pre-enrolment-application/
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.
- International students
- Accepted, as stated
International Student Application Form
- Accepted, as stated
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 124
- Māori
- 238
- Pacific
- 30
- Asian
- 32
- MELAA
- 2
- Other
- 5
- International
- 9
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 07 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 43 |
| Year 08 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 34 |
| Year 09 | 43 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 59 |
| Year 10 | 40 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 56 |
| Year 11 | 42 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 3 | 67 |
| Year 12 | 41 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 9 | 72 |
| Year 13+ | 36 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 62 |
| Total | 256 | 22 | 34 | 2 | 7 | 122 | 16 | 393 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Age 11 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 34 |
| Age 12 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 31 |
| Age 13 | 38 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 54 |
| Age 14 | 38 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 52 |
| Age 15 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 1 | 72 |
| Age 16 | 35 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 10 | 65 |
| Age 17 | 34 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 55 |
| Age 18 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 19+ | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 256 | 22 | 34 | 2 | 7 | 122 | 16 | 393 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
74.6%
| William Colenso College | 74.6% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 86% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 89.6% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 66.7% |
|---|---|
| Male | 81.6% |
| Māori | 75.6% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 81.8% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 65% |
| Total | 74.6% |
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
57.7%
| William Colenso College | 57.7% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 77.5% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.3% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 48.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 65.8% |
| Māori | 57.8% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 81.8% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 40% |
| Total | 57.7% |
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
38%
| William Colenso College | 38% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 57.7% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 64.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 39.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | 36.8% |
| Māori | 35.6% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 63.6% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 30% |
| Total | 38% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
12.7%
| William Colenso College | 12.7% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 16.6% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 14.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 9.1% |
|---|---|
| Male | 15.8% |
| Māori | 17.8% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 0% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 10% |
| Total | 12.7% |
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
70.4%
| William Colenso College | 70.4% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 78.8% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 83.1% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 63.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | 76.3% |
| Māori | 66.7% |
| Pacific | Too few to report |
| Asian | 81.8% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 60% |
| Total | 70.4% |
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
| 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)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
96.3%
| William Colenso College | 96.3% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 33.6% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 43.4% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 105.1% |
|---|---|
| Male | 89.8% |
| Māori | 89% |
| Pacific | 141.5% |
| Asian | 86.1% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 96.3% |
| Total | 96.3% |
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
25.5%
| William Colenso College | 25.5% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 6.2% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 4.6% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 19.4% |
|---|---|
| Male | 31.4% |
| Māori | 17.4% |
| Pacific | 48.7% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 468.7% |
| European/Pākehā | 23% |
| Total | 25.5% |
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
15.6%
| William Colenso College | 15.6% |
|---|---|
| Hawke's Bay Region | 3% |
| Secondary (Year 7-15) | 2% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 14.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 16.5% |
| Māori | 10.1% |
| Pacific | 55.3% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 10.2% |
| Total | 15.6% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 548
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 31 January 1959
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
- 5
- Last reviewed
- 15 May 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (15 May 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 15 May 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.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 15 May 2023 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Also provides
- Teenage Parent Unit
This school has a: Teenage Parent Unit.
- Teenage Parent Unit
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 366 — 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.
October 2017
365
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 21 December 2017
September 2014
357
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 20 October 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 15 May 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 18 months of the Education Review Office and William Colenso College 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
William Colenso College is in Onekawa , Napier and provides education for students in years 7-13. Key values focus on cultural relationships and restorative practice. William Colenso College is part of the Matariki Kahui Ako . A new Principal was appointed in Term 1 2022.
William Colenso College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
responsive outcomes for learners
responsive systems and processes
responsive learning opportunities
responsive relationships.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on William Colenso College’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the responsiveness of the middle school, years 7-9, programme in accelerating student achievement, with a focus on equity and excellence for Māori and targeted ākonga .
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is the need to:
improve equity and excellence for all ākonga with a focus on improved attendance and engagement
raise achievement in the senior school by developing a more cohesive and coherent curriculum transition between the middle and senior school
increase accelerated learning across all year 7-9 ākonga .
The school expects to see:
progress and achievement outcomes consistently equitable and excellent for all ākonga
accelerated progress in the middle school supporting ākonga in successful transition into senior pathways and improved equity at NCEA
teachers’ increased capacity and capability in using data to inform teaching and learning
ākonga able to demonstrate agency in their learning to improve outcomes and experience success.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the responsiveness of the middle school, years 7-9, programme in accelerating student achievement, with a focus on equity and excellence for Māori and targeted ākonga :
leadership collaboratively enacts the school’s vision and values with high expectations for all ākonga
culturally responsive teaching expectations are clear, shared and well implemented to support all learners
ākonga and whānau voice show that whanaungatanga is a strength within the school to support progress and achievement
community collaborations are well established to further support ākonga learning and wellbeing.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
identifying ākonga needing acceleration in years 7-9
gather stakeholder voice including students, whānau, hapū, iwi to develop a rich understanding of current curriculum contexts and outcomes
strengthening processes for evaluation to better know the impact of actions on improving outcomes with a clear focus on equity and excellence.
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 Schools
15 May 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
This school has a: Teenage Parent Unit.
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 5 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).