Working with pupils with English as their second language was a strength of Aoraki Mt Cook School, according to the Education Review Office (ERO).
The school's ERO report said pupils received high-quality, individual class teaching and literacy-learning support.
ERO is the government department that assesses and reports on the education and care of students at schools and in early childhood education services.
Principal and teacher Coral Butler said the board was happy with the review, as it reflected what was happening at the school.
The school is a full primary from years 1 to 8, with 13 students and six different cultures. The report noted the school valued and celebrated the rich diversity of its multicultural students.
Most of the pupils spoke English as a second language, some coming to the school without knowing any English. Because of this, each pupil was on an individual programme, Butler said.
She said the teachers worked hard to get those pupils to the national standards.
Another strong point of the school was using the "rich environment within and beyond the park to broaden students' horizons".
Butler said this helped the English as second language (esol) pupils learn from experiences rather than just from books.
Another way teachers supported esol pupils was the introduction of a six-month pre-school programme.
The programme was started three years ago as there was no formal pre-school education facility in the area.
Butler said arriving at an English-speaking school can be "a huge shock" and the pre-school programme had been successful since its inception.
The school's small size also gave pupils more opportunities to build their confidence and leadership skills.
Students built confidence by singing into microphones and giving speeches at school and to visitors.
Butler said this helped pupils transition into high school and step into leadership roles.
Areas to review and develop were making reports to the board clearer to show the progress of pupils.
The next ERO review was likely to be carried out in the next three years.