About

What is School Report?

Academic results, information and relevant links for every secondary school in New Zealand are published on School Report.

School-level results against the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) are published for every school where they are available. Sometimes, data is excluded for privacy or other reasons.

On their own, academic results do not indicate the quality of any school. It’s important to know things like the socio-economic background and ethnic mix of pupils. On each school’s page, these and other details (including a link to each school’s latest Education Review Office report) are displayed.

School Report is not a complete guide to any school. There is no substitute for visiting a school, talking to teachers, parents and the principal about how they operate.

What else should you consider when looking at individual schools?

Visiting a school is the best way to judge it. Talk to the teachers, the principal and the parents of children at the school to find out what they think. You could also visit the school's website and read its Education Review Office report, both of which are linked to on the results page for every school.

What is NCEA?

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) replaced School Certificate, Sixth Form Certificate, and Bursary (University Entrance), as the national qualification for New Zealand's senior secondary school students. NCEA measures each student's learning against set standards and is made up of three certificates at levels 1, 2 and 3, which are usually studied in years 11, 12 and 13.

Students achieve the NCEA at each level by accumulating credits across a range of subjects.

In order to be awarded NCEA level one, students must accumulate at least 80 level one credits. At least 10 of those credits must be in literacy and 10 in numeracy. To be awarded NCEA levels two and three, at least 60 credits must be accumulated at each level, as well as the literacy and numeracy requirements at level one and an extra 20 credits from any level.

Credits are accumulated every time a student achieves a standard -- typically three or four per standard. Students achieve standards by passing different kinds of tests. The tests can be a mix of traditional written exams and practical tasks that are internally assessed, then moderated.

There are typically between five and eight achievement standards - like linear algebra or creative writing - open for students to take in each subject area, like maths or English.

How is the NCEA graded?

Every standard and overall NCEA level is graded as either not achieved, achieved, merit or excellence.

To be awarded an NCEA level with merit, at least 50 credits at that level must have been achieved with merit or excellence. To be awarded an NCEA level with excellence, at least 50 credits must have been accumulated with excellence.

Accumulating 14 credits in a particular subject with merit or excellence means a student is endorsed as having achieved merit or excellence in that subject area.

Top students can also choose to sit scholarship exams in a range of subjects. The results have no bearing on NCEA achievement but offer financial rewards for the top students who intend to go onto tertiary study.

Where do the NCEA results data come from?

The NCEA results for every school, including in scholarships, are published by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

The results we have published are defined by the NZQA as the cumulative achievement rate. This means that every student in a year level that has achieved an NCEA level is counted in the data. For example, a year 11 student in 2013 who achieved NCEA level 1 in the previous year will be counted in that school’s 2013 data as having passed, even though it was the year before.

Are some schools' NCEA results affected by the fact they take part in other qualifications, for example Cambridge International Examinations or the International Baccalaureate Diploma?

Yes. About 80 schools in New Zealand offer Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB).

Some schools offer students the full course and choose not to take part in NCEA. Other schools may have a mix of students taking part in either CIE or IB as well as NCEA. The schools we’re aware of that offer these exams have a note stating this on their page.

What are CIE and IBD?

Cambridge International Examinations

The 55 schools registered to offer the Cambridge International Examinations may offer International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) taken at Year 11 followed by AS levels, and A levels, taken in Year 13. Some schools offer a full range of subjects while others may offer only one or two subjects. Some offer CIE exclusively while others offer CIE alongside other qualifications such as NCEA.

As well as end-of-year exams in most CIE subjects, assessment also includes practical exams, oral tests and portfolios. Exam scripts are sent to overseas markers, and results are scaled before the student receives their mark.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma

About 23 New Zealand schools offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a standardised curriculum and assessment regime for students aged 16-19. The diploma programme offers six sections - language, second language, individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics and computer science, and the arts - three of which are studied at a higher intensity. IB also involves an extended essay, which students work on over two years on a topic of their choice.

Where does the demographic and funding information about each school in School Report come from?

This has been provided by the Education Ministry.

What if a school's roll and ethnicity data has changed?

Schools are constantly evolving. The school roll, the breakdown of student ethnicities and funding can change both within and between years. Some schools have high numbers of transient students - which means their rolls change frequently.

School Report draws on the latest information available from official sources. Inevitably, the details for some schools will have changed since they were provided. Stuff thinks it is better to include these official details - even if some are imperfect - in order to provide readers with some context about each school to consider when looking at academic results.

What do terms like 'decile' and 'funding per pupil' mean?

There are 10 decile ratings in New Zealand and about 10 per cent of schools are in each decile. Decile 1 schools are the 10 per cent of schools with the highest proportion of pupils from low socioeconomic communities. Decile 10 schools, at the other extreme, are the 10 per cent with the lowest proportion of these pupils.

Lower decile schools get extra funding from the government, compared with higher decile schools. Deciles have nothing to do with the quality of schools.

Funding per pupil is calculated as the sum of operational grant funding and teacher salaries divided by the school roll. Funding data was provided by the Education Ministry. Some schools get extra funding to carry out work with at other schools.

Why does it say secondary school goes up to Year 15? Isn't Year 13 the final year at school for New Zealand students?

This reflects the way schools and students are funded.

Schools have classes up to year 13 but the Education Ministry will continue to fund students who remain at school for 14 or 15 years.