Rotorua school gets help after bad ERO report

The Ministry of Education has stepped in to help Rotorua's Sunset Junior High School after a critical report from the Education Review Office.

In its latest report on the school, the ERO says students leaving Sunset Junior High are inadequately prepared to go on to complete their secondary school education.

The report says the school's roll has almost halved over the past three years, from 173 to 89 students. All but five of the students are Maori.

Greg West of the ministry said the school board was being helped to develop strategies to resolve issues raised by the ERO.

Principal Peta Brown said the Fordlands community and the board of trustees fully supported him and staff in the "amazing achievement and success" the students had experienced.