Largest Schools in South Taranaki District (2026)
Schools with the largest rolls. Ranked by the Success Index (NZ) from official New Zealand data; 19 schools in South Taranaki District, Taranaki. Rank positions shown on each profile are within New Zealand and Taranaki.
- 138Te Paepae o AoteaHāwera · State Secondary (Year 7-15)Roll: 863
- 242Opunake High SchoolOpunake · State Secondary (Year 9-15)Roll: 315
- 349Turuturu SchoolHāwera · State ContributingRoll: 284
- 446Tawhiti SchoolHāwera · State ContributingRoll: 278
- 555St Joseph's School (Hawera)Hāwera · State integrated Full PrimaryRoll: 209
- 625Patea Area SchoolPatea · State CompositeRoll: 184
- 740Waverley Primary SchoolWaverley · State Full PrimaryRoll: 168
- 839Auroa SchoolHāwera · State Full PrimaryRoll: 167
- 923Hāwera Primary SchoolHāwera · State ContributingRoll: 165
- 1029Opunake SchoolOpunake · State Full PrimaryRoll: 156
- 1124TKKM o Ngati RuanuiHāwera · State CompositeRoll: 150
- 1246Matapu SchoolHāwera · State Full PrimaryRoll: 146
- 1328Normanby SchoolNormanby · State ContributingRoll: 142
- 1422Eltham SchoolEltham · State Full PrimaryRoll: 131
- 1557St Joseph's School (Opunake)Opunake · State integrated Full PrimaryRoll: 124
- 1627Rahotu SchoolRahotu · State Full PrimaryRoll: 122
- 1744Kakaramea SchoolPatea · State ContributingRoll: 64
- 1828Te Kura o Nga Ruahine RangiMangatoki · State CompositeRoll: 64
- 1914Ramanui SchoolHāwera · State ContributingRoll: 62
| # | School | Sector | Roll | Success Index (NZ) | Equity Index (EQI) | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Te Paepae o Aotea Hāwera · Secondary (Year 7-15) · Years 7–13 | State | 863 | 37.6 Lower 50% | 509 | 863 |
| 2 | Opunake High School Opunake · Secondary (Year 9-15) · Years 9–13 | State | 315 | 42.3 Lower 50% | 503 | 315 |
| 3 | Turuturu School Hāwera · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 284 | 48.8 Lower 50% | 466 | 284 |
| 4 | Tawhiti School Hāwera · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 278 | 45.9 Lower 50% | 473 | 278 |
| 5 | St Joseph's School (Hawera) Hāwera · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State integrated | 209 | 54.8 Top 50% | 439 | 209 |
| 6 | Patea Area School Patea · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 184 | 25.0 Lower 50% | 541 | 184 |
| 7 | Waverley Primary School Waverley · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 168 | 39.6 Lower 50% | 487 | 168 |
| 8 | Auroa School Hāwera · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 167 | 38.7 Lower 50% | 473 | 167 |
| 9 | Hāwera Primary School Hāwera · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 165 | 23.0 Lower 50% | 521 | 165 |
| 10 | Opunake School Opunake · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 156 | 29.2 Lower 50% | 499 | 156 |
| 11 | TKKM o Ngati Ruanui Hāwera · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 150 | 23.9 Lower 50% | 531 | 150 |
| 12 | Matapu School Hāwera · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 146 | 46.1 Lower 50% | 467 | 146 |
| 13 | Normanby School Normanby · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 142 | 27.7 Lower 50% | 503 | 142 |
| 14 | Eltham School Eltham · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 131 | 22.3 Lower 50% | 521 | 131 |
| 15 | St Joseph's School (Opunake) Opunake · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State integrated | 124 | 56.7 Top 50% | 441 | 124 |
| 16 | Rahotu School Rahotu · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 122 | 27.1 Lower 50% | 503 | 122 |
| 17 | Kakaramea School Patea · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 64 | 43.5 Lower 50% | 457 | 64 |
| 18 | Te Kura o Nga Ruahine Rangi Mangatoki · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 64 | 28.3 Lower 50% | 531 | 64 |
| 19 | Ramanui School Hāwera · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 62 | 13.6 Lower 50% | 556 | 62 |
Te Paepae o Aotea in Hāwera leads the 2026 list of largest schools in South Taranaki District with Roll 863. Of the 19 schools shown, 17 are state, 2 are state integrated.
For the full picture see the wider Taranaki largest schools rankings, every school on the South Taranaki District page, or the comparison tool to put a shortlist side by side.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best largest school in South Taranaki District?
Te Paepae o Aotea in Hāwera, Taranaki ranks first among largest schools in South Taranaki District with Roll 863 (Equity Index (EQI): 509).
How are largest schools in South Taranaki District ranked?
Schools with the largest rolls. Only schools eligible for the Success Index (NZ) are included; the index is shown alongside for context.
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.