Ardgowan School
Full Primary · State
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 129
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Ardgowan Road, Oamaru
- Territorial authority
- Waitaki District
- Phone
- 03-4331366
- office@ardgowan.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Otago
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
- The aim of Ardgowan School is to provide all akonga with the opportunities, encouragement and skills to ‘BE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE’ in all aspects of the school curriculum, and to contribute towards their development as good citizens.
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
- choir
We currently have very strong choir and Kapa Haka groups for people to join.
- Kapa Haka
We currently have very strong choir and Kapa Haka groups for people to join.
- annual speech competition
We run an annual speech competition in school.
- choir
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 122
- Māori
- 19
- Pacific
- 6
- Asian
- 6
- 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 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 25 |
| Year 02 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 20 |
| Year 03 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 04 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 18 |
| Year 05 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| Year 06 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 07 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Year 08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 17 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 122 | 0 | 131 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 23 |
| Age 06 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 07 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 08 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 09 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| Age 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| Age 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 17 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 122 | 0 | 131 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
67.6%
| Ardgowan School | 67.6% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 131.9% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 72.3% |
| Total | 67.6% |
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
27.9%
| Ardgowan School | 27.9% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 4.6% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 56% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 30% |
| Total | 27.9% |
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
27.7%
| Ardgowan School | 27.7% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 2% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 55.8% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 29.8% |
| Total | 27.7% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 453
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Rural other
- Date opened
- 25 January 1903
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
- 3 March 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (3 March 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 same report — the board assurance report of 3 March 2023 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.
ERO has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
consult with the community and adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum at least once in every two years.
[Section 91 Education and Training Act 2020]
The board has since taken steps to address the area of non-compliance identified.
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 129 — 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.
September 2019
162
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 21 November 2019
This is one count taken for one report. It says what the roll was on that day, and nothing about how the roll has moved.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 3 March 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 six months of the Education Review Office and Ardgowan 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
Ardgowan is a semi-rural Years 1 to 8 school on the outskirts of Oamaru in North Otago. The school’s values of Respect, Integrity, Love of Learning, Community Involvement, and Personal Excellence and Confidence underpin its vision for its learners. A new principal was appointed and began in March 2022.
Ardgowan School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
to have strong community partnerships that will enhance the wellbeing of learners and the school environment
to develop a strong culturally sensitive environment supported by an authentic localised curriculum
that tikanga /practices are innovative, engaging, up-to-date and grounded in the school’s values.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Ardgowan School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how well the school is honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi through culturally responsive curriculum and practices.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
school leadership is leading and promoting school-wide tikanga Māori practices
partnerships with local experts, groups and runaka supporting Mātauranga Māori are being forged and strengthened
ongoing staff training in te reo me ona tikanga and Mātauranga Māori is strengthening giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
staff are strongly committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and achieving equity for all learners.
The school expects to see:
learners working through established learning progressions in te reo Māori me ona tikanga and Mātauranga Māori across the school
Māori learners being and feeling well supported through the promotion of whānau partnerships
all learners with a strong sense of their culture and identity in classrooms and curriculum.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to have a culturally responsive curriculum.
A positive and culturally aware learning climate that promotes engagement, respectful relationships, and restorative practices.
Effective teaching and learning programmes that are responsive to and accelerate the progress of learners, including those with high and diverse needs.
Positive and caring relationships throughout the school, including tuakana-teina approaches, that promote wellbeing for all learners and staff.
Strong professional leadership that promotes the vision and values of the school alongside ongoing improvement and innovation.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
establishing baseline learning progressions across the school that will give full and systematic effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
enhancing partnerships with whānau including establishing regular whānau hui to collaborate, build trust and nurture respectful interactions
continuing to build teacher knowledge and capacity in te reo Māori me ona tikanga and Mātauranga Māori and for this to be strongly evident in classrooms.
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.
Kathy Lye Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern) Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
3 March 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 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).