What Is a School Decile?
A school's decile rating indicated the extent to which its students lived in low socioeconomic communities. Deciles were numbered 1 to 10: a Decile 1 school drew from the lowest socioeconomic communities, while a Decile 10 school drew from the highest. The label was a community measure, never a judgement on teaching quality — but it was widely (and wrongly) read as a school "grade".
How Deciles Were Calculated
The Ministry of Education calculated deciles using Census data and administrative data on:
- Household income
- Parental occupation
- Household crowding
- Parental educational qualifications
- Income support received by families
The decile was calculated from the proportion of students living in low-socioeconomic households. It was a community measure, not an individual measure — a child at a Decile 1 school was not themselves "Decile 1".
Deciles Are Gone — Meet the Equity Index
Since January 2023, deciles no longer exist for funding purposes. They were replaced by the Equity Index (EQI), which uses far more detailed data — 37 socio-economic indicators drawn from Stats NZ's Integrated Data Infrastructure, including parental education, benefit history and household circumstances — to measure each school's level of socioeconomic need.
The EQI runs on a scale of roughly 344 to 569. Critically, it counts the opposite way to deciles: a higher EQI number means more socioeconomic challenge, and therefore more equity funding per student. Schools sit in bands and groups that determine their funding tier. For example, 2026 cut-score tables show Wellington College at 383, Rangitoto College at 397, Mount Albert Grammar at 415 and Hamilton Boys' High School at 429 — all well below the highest-need end of the scale.
What the Change Meant for Funding
When the EQI replaced deciles, the Government added $75 million to the equity pool — a 50% increase — and around 90% of schools came out ahead. Northland gained the most, roughly $223 extra per student. About 250 schools received less than before, with reductions phased in at 5% per year to avoid sudden funding shocks. The key takeaway for parents: a school's old decile tells you nothing reliable about its current funding or its quality.
What Deciles Were NOT
- NOT a measure of school quality, teaching standard, or academic performance
- NOT a measure of student ability or behaviour
- NOT the same as a school "grade" or "ranking"
Why the Numbers Matter (and Why They Don't)
Funding numbers matter because lower-decile / higher-EQI schools receive more government funding per student and run targeted programmes to support learners facing socioeconomic barriers. But for choosing a school, the number itself is nearly useless: two schools with identical EQI scores can differ enormously in leadership, teaching quality and outcomes. The Ministry is explicit that the EQI "is not a measure of school quality".
Does Decile Matter for My Child?
A high-decile school is not automatically "better" than a low-decile school. Focus instead on teaching quality, school culture, pastoral care, academic results (NCEA achievement), extracurricular opportunities, and whether the school suits your child's needs. Read the school's latest ERO report, compare NCEA and UE results on Education Counts, and visit during a normal school day.
Actionable Steps for 2026
- Ignore decile numbers in old articles and property ads — they are obsolete since 2023.
- Look up a school's EQI band on Education Counts if you want the funding context.
- Judge schools on ERO reports, NCEA/UE results, and a visit — not on a single number.
How to Read EQI Data
On Education Counts, each school shows an Equity Index number and a band/group label. The scale runs from roughly 344 (lowest need) to 569 (highest need), and schools are grouped into bands that set their funding tier. The higher the number, the more equity funding the school receives per student. Use it as context, not judgement: a high-EQI school is not "worse" — it is a school serving a community with more socioeconomic challenges and, usually, more targeted funding to meet them. When comparing schools, put the EQI next to NCEA results and ERO findings and ask what the school does with its equity funding — that tells you far more than the number itself.
How to Read EQI Data
On Education Counts, each school shows an Equity Index number and a band/group label. The scale runs from roughly 344 (lowest need) to 569 (highest need), and schools are grouped into bands that set their funding tier. The higher the number, the more equity funding the school receives per student. Use it as context, not judgement: a high-EQI school is not "worse" — it is a school serving a community with more socioeconomic challenges and, usually, more targeted funding to meet them. When comparing schools, put the EQI next to NCEA results and ERO findings and ask what the school does with its equity funding — that tells you far more than the number itself.