Key facts
- School number308
- School typeComposite · Years 1–15
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established24 August 1896
About Amuri Area School
Amuri Area School is a state area school located in the Amuri district. It was formed in 1977 when the local primary and district high schools combined, though it was not officially opened until 22 May 1984 by the then Minister of Education, the Hon. M.L. Wellington. The school serves students across a wide age range, as is typical of area schools in rural New Zealand.
The school operates under the acronym ASPIRE as its values framework, with one value foregrounded each term. The five stated values are Self Discipline, Pride, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence.
In Term 1, Years 4–10 students sit SMART assessments released by the Ministry of Education, and the school uses Seesaw as a learning journal platform for primary-aged students. The school monitors student attendance against the Ministry of Education's national target of 80% of students attending 90% of the time by 2030; in the most recent reported year, 59% of students were in the regular attendance category (above 90%) and a further 25% in the irregular category (80–90%).
Enrolment
Enrolment scheme on recordAmuri Area School has an enrolment scheme (a home zone) on record. Living inside it guarantees a place; living outside it does not, though out-of-zone applications may still be considered.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 444, Amuri Area School is in the range eligible to opt into the Ministry's donations scheme — receiving additional government funding per student in exchange for not seeking donations (except for overnight camps).
Check directly with the school for current charges, contributions or other costs. Learn more on the donations scheme or fees and charges at school, both on education.govt.nz.
Equity Index
The Ministry publishes this figure as a bare number — KuraData shows it against the directory-wide average, so you can see where Amuri Area School actually sits, not just the number on its own.
The Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers students face, on average, and is used to inform government funding and support. It is not a measure of school quality or academic performance.
Higher values indicate a higher level of estimated socio-economic barriers; lower values indicate fewer. Learn how the Equity Index is calculated →
Student ethnicity
The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Amuri Area School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 223 students (62.8%)
- Asian — 97 students (27.3%)
- Pacific — 9 students (2.5%)
- Māori — 48 students (13.5%)
- MELAA — 8 students (2.3%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street addressSchool Road
- CityCulverden
- Local authorityHurunui District
Official contact details
- ContactMatt Barlow
- Phone03-3158233
- Emailoffice@amuri.school.nz
- Websitewww.amuri.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Amuri Area School, regardless of year level.
-
Methven Primary School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 136.7 km
-
Salisbury School (Nelson) Specialist School · 162 km
-
Appleby School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 164.3 km
-
Waihi School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 200.6 km
-
Thorndon School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 230.6 km
Explore schools in Culverden
Browse Culverden schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Facilities
Amuri Area School is located on School Road in Culverden. Its on-site facilities include the following named spaces:
- Community library — an on-site library open to the school and the wider rural community, also serving as a Service Centre and Information Centre for the Hurunui District Council. Open Monday to Friday, 10.00am–12.30pm and 1.00pm–4.00pm year-round.
- Gymnasium — full-size, with a basketball court, changing rooms, and an attached community room. The community room has cooking equipment and can accommodate up to 50 people. The school canteen operates from this building.
- Courts — two courts located next to the gymnasium, with a squash club operating during the year.
- Windy Point Outdoor Centre — located approximately 65km northwest of Culverden on the Lewis Pass Highway within Lake Sumner Forest Park. Provides bunk room accommodation for up to 30 people. Activities include abseiling, kayaking, and orienteering. Hire rate is $10.00 per person per night.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Amuri Area School's own official Ministry of Education data already shown on this page, so what you read here always matches the figures above.
Sources & methodology
Every fact on this page traces back to one of the rows below — official Ministry of Education data, or Amuri Area School's own published information, reviewed before publication. Nothing here is inferred or estimated beyond what its source actually states.
| Data | Source | Data period | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| School characteristics | Ministry of Education | — | 16 September 2026 |
| Student roll | Ministry of Education / Education Counts | August 2026 | 16 September 2026 |
| Equity Index | Education Counts | — | 16 September 2026 |
| Address & coordinates | Ministry of Education | — | 16 September 2026 |
| Contact details | NZ Schools Directory | Current | 16 September 2026 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Amuri Area School's official website | Current | 16 September 2026 |