Best primary schools in Whakatane District (2026)
Contributing, full primary, intermediate and composite schools offering Years 1–8. Ranked by the Success Index (NZ) from official New Zealand data; 21 schools in Whakatane District, Bay of Plenty. Rank positions shown on each profile are within New Zealand and Bay of Plenty.
- 169St Joseph's Catholic School (Whakatane)Whakatane · State integrated Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 430 · 264 students
- 264Apanui SchoolWhakatane · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 447 · 439 students
- 364Ōhope Beach SchoolOhope Beach · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 419 · 227 students
- 452Awakeri SchoolWhakatane · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 447 · 343 students
- 550Whakatane IntermediateWhakatane · State IntermediateEquity Index (EQI) 486 · 578 students
- 648Thornton SchoolThornton · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 451 · 163 students
- 745Otakiri SchoolWhakatane · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 466 · 154 students
- 840Te Wharekura o RuatokiRuatoki · State CompositeEquity Index (EQI) 524 · 235 students
- 937Edgecumbe SchoolEdgecumbe · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 494 · 163 students
- 1037James Street SchoolWhakatane · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 507 · 250 students
- 1135Te Kura o Te ParoaWhakatane · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 520 · 297 students
- 1235Galatea SchoolGalatea · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 493 · 127 students
- 1329Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Orini ki Ngati AwaCoastlands · State CompositeEquity Index (EQI) 517 · 96 students
- 1427Matata SchoolMatata · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 514 · 96 students
- 1527Te Kura Māori ā Rohe o WaiohauWaiohau · State CompositeEquity Index (EQI) 534 · 86 students
- 1626Allandale SchoolKopeopeo · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 517 · 341 students
- 1720Taneatua SchoolTaneatua · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 552 · 134 students
- 1820Te Kura O Te TekoTe Teko · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 532 · 151 students
- 1918Nukuhou North SchoolWhakatane · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 532 · 61 students
- 2015TKK Motuhake o TawhiuauMurupara · State CompositeEquity Index (EQI) 552 · 89 students
- 2111Murupara Area SchoolMurupara · State CompositeEquity Index (EQI) 560 · 164 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index (NZ) | Equity Index (EQI) | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Joseph's Catholic School (Whakatane) Whakatane · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State integrated | 69.0 Top 25% | 430 | 264 |
| 2 | Apanui School Whakatane · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 64.4 Top 50% | 447 | 439 |
| 3 | Ōhope Beach School Ohope Beach · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 64.0 Top 50% | 419 | 227 |
| 4 | Awakeri School Whakatane · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 51.8 Top 50% | 447 | 343 |
| 5 | Whakatane Intermediate Whakatane · Intermediate · Years 7–8 | State | 49.6 Top 50% | 486 | 578 |
| 6 | Thornton School Thornton · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 47.9 Lower 50% | 451 | 163 |
| 7 | Otakiri School Whakatane · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 44.5 Lower 50% | 466 | 154 |
| 8 | Te Wharekura o Ruatoki Ruatoki · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 39.9 Lower 50% | 524 | 235 |
| 9 | Edgecumbe School Edgecumbe · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 36.9 Lower 50% | 494 | 163 |
| 10 | James Street School Whakatane · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 36.9 Lower 50% | 507 | 250 |
| 11 | Te Kura o Te Paroa Whakatane · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 35.4 Lower 50% | 520 | 297 |
| 12 | Galatea School Galatea · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 35.1 Lower 50% | 493 | 127 |
| 13 | Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Orini ki Ngati Awa Coastlands · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 29.4 Lower 50% | 517 | 96 |
| 14 | Matata School Matata · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 27.0 Lower 50% | 514 | 96 |
| 15 | Te Kura Māori ā Rohe o Waiohau Waiohau · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 26.6 Lower 50% | 534 | 86 |
| 16 | Allandale School Kopeopeo · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 26.0 Lower 50% | 517 | 341 |
| 17 | Taneatua School Taneatua · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 20.4 Lower 50% | 552 | 134 |
| 18 | Te Kura O Te Teko Te Teko · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 19.8 Lower 50% | 532 | 151 |
| 19 | Nukuhou North School Whakatane · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 18.0 Lower 50% | 532 | 61 |
| 20 | TKK Motuhake o Tawhiuau Murupara · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 14.9 Lower 50% | 552 | 89 |
| 21 | Murupara Area School Murupara · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 11.2 Lower 50% | 560 | 164 |
St Joseph's Catholic School (Whakatane) in Whakatane leads the 2026 list of primary schools in Whakatane District with a Success Index (NZ) of 69.0. Of the 21 schools shown, 20 are state, 1 are state integrated.
For the full picture see the wider Bay of Plenty primary schools rankings, every school on the Whakatane District page, or the comparison tool to put a shortlist side by side.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best primary school in Whakatane District?
St Joseph's Catholic School (Whakatane) in Whakatane, Bay of Plenty ranks first among primary schools in Whakatane District with a Success Index (NZ) of 69.0 out of 100 (Equity Index (EQI): 430).
How are primary schools in Whakatane District ranked?
Each school's Success Index (NZ) combines 5 factors: equity index (fewer barriers is higher) (45%), roll size (10%), roll growth (5 years) (15%), school leavers with ncea level 2+ (20%), school leavers with university entrance (10%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type across New Zealand. Schools with fewer than 60 students are excluded from rankings.
Are these 2026 rankings official?
No. They are computed by Success Tutoring from official New Zealand data (Ministry of Education – Schools Directory; Ministry of Education – School leaver attainment (Find a school)). The Equity Index describes the student community, not teaching quality.