Witherlea School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 388
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 214-216 Weld Street, Witherlea, Blenheim
- Territorial authority
- Marlborough District
- Phone
- 03-5785568
- office@witherlea.school.nz
- Website
- https://witherlea.school.nz/
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Marlborough
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.
- Voluntary donation
- $150 per child, annually
The Witherlea School Board ask that parents make an annual donation of $150 per child.
- $150 per child, annually
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 290
- Māori
- 62
- Pacific
- 27
- Asian
- 44
- MELAA
- 15
- Other
- 10
- 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 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 43 | 0 | 65 |
| Year 02 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 49 | 0 | 62 |
| Year 03 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 59 | 0 | 76 |
| Year 04 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 43 | 0 | 61 |
| Year 05 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 49 | 0 | 65 |
| Year 06 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 47 | 0 | 62 |
| Year 07 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 14 |
| Total | 72 | 26 | 42 | 18 | 20 | 300 | 0 | 405 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 43 | 0 | 65 |
| Age 06 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 46 | 0 | 59 |
| Age 07 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 60 | 0 | 76 |
| Age 08 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 44 | 0 | 62 |
| Age 09 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 49 | 0 | 63 |
| Age 10 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 48 | 0 | 65 |
| Age 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| Total | 72 | 26 | 42 | 18 | 20 | 300 | 0 | 405 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
37%
| Witherlea School | 37% |
|---|---|
| Marlborough Region | 36.2% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 78.7% |
| Māori | 236.8% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 48% |
| Total | 37% |
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%
| Witherlea School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Marlborough Region | 4% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| 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%
| Witherlea School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Marlborough Region | 1% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| 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)
- 415
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Medium urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1968
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
- 2 December 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (2 December 2024)
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 2 December 2024 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 388 — 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 2019
396
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 15 August 2019
June 2014
367
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 9 September 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 2 December 2024 — “School Evaluation Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School Evaluation 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.
Context
Witherlea School is located on the outskirts of Blenheim township and provides education for learners from Years 1 to 6. The school values are Respect, Integrity, Courage, Resilience and Compassion. These values underpin the expectations for all school community members to Be Kind, Be Brave, and Be Fair – Kia Atawhai, Kia Kaha, Kia Tika.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki /bilingual settings.
Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Most learners achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.
Most learners achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics.
Learners achieve and make progress at similar rates in reading and writing; the school has yet to address disparity for Māori and Pacific learners in mathematics.
Most learners report they experience a strong sense of belonging in an inclusive environment.
Most learners attend school regularly and the school meets the Ministry of Education’s attendance target; school leaders actively engage with attendance services where moderate absenteeism is limiting learner progress and achievement.
Conditions to support learner success
Strong and collaborative leadership sets and pursues goals that promote learner centred practice.
Leaders deliberately build the capacity and capability of all teachers through targeted professional learning that supports improved outcomes for students.
Leaders enable improved teaching through consistent use of feedback as a tool to evaluate and stretch teacher practice.
Leaders purposefully track the progress of all students through timely data gathering systems that effectively identify and address learner’s needs.
Teachers use good quality assessment practices to better monitor learner’s progress and support the achievement of all learners.
Outcomes for all learners are improving supported by a whole school collaborative approach to structured teaching practices that focus on systematic progressions across the curriculum.
Learners experience increasing success through a range of teacher implemented strategies and interventions that support all learners.
Teachers’ use of school wide assessment practices are increasingly appropriate and aligned with progress and achievement expectations to better respond to learners' strengths and needs.
Organisational systems that underpin successful schooling are increasingly well embedded and positioned to improve outcomes for all learners.
Leaders carefully manage and apply resources to reduce barriers to learning for identified target learners.
The school gathers and analyses wellbeing data and effectively responds to learner voice to support improved outcomes for all learners.
Learners have a wide range of opportunities and take part in activities and leadership roles that enhance engagement and success.
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
continue to strengthen partnerships with whānau to encourage regular conversations around learners’ progress
further refine the localised curriculum to engage all learners and recognise all cultures, identities and languages
support teachers to implement changes in processes and school wide expectations that are designed to target and accelerate learners’ progress
continue to actively engage with whānau and attendance services where absenteeism is impacting on learner progress and achievement.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
plan opportunities to engage learners in localised curriculum contexts
communicate with, and support parents and whānau to understand the importance of regular learner attendance and achievement
strengthen teacher responsiveness to learners’ identities and cultures so that all learners can engage in and contribute their knowledge to learning contexts across the curriculum
Every six months:
align appropriate assessment tasks with the school's local curriculum contexts to show what learners understand and what is important for them to learn and know, and to identify next steps for teaching and learning
compare achievement data and judgements, within and between teams, to monitor consistency of teacher practices
discuss and use learners’ progress data to inform planning and teaching
Annually:
monitor teacher responsiveness to learners’ identities and cultures so that all learners can engage in and contribute their knowledge to learning contexts across the curriculum
provide evaluative reports on learners’ progress and achievement to the board to inform ongoing strategic planning and resourcing
continue to monitor the impact of strategies to further improve learner engagement and attendance to inform planning
discuss the school wide expectations of a learning focused culture as part of teacher’s professional growth cycles so all learners experience a consistent teacher approach to learning across the school.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
teachers supporting learners to make connections about learning across the curriculum
increased consistency of teacher professional practice across the school to support all learners to achieve and make progress
strengthened learning centred partnerships between teachers, parents and whānau to support learner achievement, progress and attendance; teachers initiate conversations with learners and their whānau to effectively plan next steps for learners
sustained levels of regular attendance.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three 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
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
2 December 2024
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).