After the success of Ourewa School's Education Review Office report, another Central Hawke's Bay primary school, Elsthorpe, has received exceptional feedback, too.
The three-classroom rural primary school has just 38 pupils, but its ERO report said they were excelling academically.
"A significant majority of students, including Maori, are achieving to National Standards
in reading, writing and mathematics. Data shows positive improvements since the beginning of 2010," the report said.
It also praised the school grounds, and the support of the board of trustees and community.
Hayden Kennedy, principal since the beginning of last year, said the feedback was fantastic, and highlighted the community's involvement - a central feature of the school.
"We just had a working bee and raised just under $6000 from sheep crutching," Mr Kennedy said.
"Close to 60 people turned up for that and quite a fair chunk don't have children at the school, some weren't even ex-students or ex-parents."
The ERO report also described the school's curriculum as "broad," allowing pupils to develop interests in sports and arts. As well, teachers were praised for promoting pupil-centred learning.
Mr Kennedy said the fundraising committee had just raised enough to hire a new music and art teacher to take children for two terms this year.
"It allows the kids to develop extra interests, and put them into practice," he said.
Hawke's Bay Primary Principals Association president Mark Johnson said the positive reports coming out of CHB were a reflection of how effective Hawke's Bay schools were.
"Its recognition for a lot of hard work the schools and their communities are putting into standards of learning," Mr Johnson said.
