Key facts
- School number2820
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionSome students taught in te reo Māori
- Established26 January 1861
About Carterton School
Carterton School is a full primary school located in the centre of Carterton, adjacent to Carrington Park. It serves students from New Entrant to Year 8, with a roll of approximately 215 students at mid-year.
The school operates two distinct learning environments. English-medium classes are organised into three learning teams. The school also offers Ākonga Māori, a Māori enrichment environment comprising two whānau-based classes covering Years 0–8, in which Te Reo Māori, Tikanga Māori and Te Ao Māori are central to teaching. Ākonga Māori is open to students of any cultural background and requires no prior knowledge of Te Reo Māori; core curriculum subjects including reading, writing and mathematics continue to be taught in English.
The school is governed by a Board of Trustees, with a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) also active in school development. The school describes an open-door policy and emphasises home and school communication as part of its relationship with whānau.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 471, Carterton 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 Carterton 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 Carterton School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 141 students (78.3%)
- Asian — 10 students (5.6%)
- Pacific — 9 students (5%)
- Māori — 79 students (43.9%)
- MELAA — 2 students (1.1%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Education pathway
Nearby schools serving the next or previous year levels are shown as potential pathway options. They do not indicate formal enrolment pathways or actual student transfers.
-
Masterton Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 12 km
Location
- Street addressHolloway Street
- CityCarterton
- Local authorityCarterton District
Official contact details
- ContactJo Hunter
- Phone+64 6 379 4010
- Emailprincipal@carterton.school.nz
- Websitewww.carterton.school.nz/
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Carterton School, regardless of year level.
-
Ponatahi Christian School Composite · Years 1–15 · 937 m
-
Dalefield School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 4.5 km
-
Solway School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 10.1 km
-
Hadlow Preparatory School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 11.9 km
-
Gladstone School (Masterton) Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 12 km
Explore schools in Carterton
Browse Carterton schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
Children in New Zealand can start school from age 5, and must be enrolled by their sixth birthday. Enrolment at Carterton School is handled through the school's front office administration team.
The school has two learning environments — Ākonga Māori and English-Medium — and prospective families can arrange a tour with the Principal and/or Deputy Principal before enrolling.
The following documents and forms are required when enrolling at Carterton School:
- Copy of the child's birth certificate or passport
- Copy of the child's immunisation certificate
- Completed paper enrolment form or online application via HERO
- Signed EOTC, Digital Agreement, and Online Agreement
- Completed Dental form
- Confirmation of address (for zoning purposes)
- Copy of any parenting or custody orders (if applicable)
- Completed medication authority form (if applicable)
- Any transitional documents, including records of involvement with supporting agencies such as MOE or RTLB (if applicable)
Once enrolled, the school encourages children to make three visits before their start date. Children attending visits must be accompanied by a parent, family member, or ECE teacher.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Carterton 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 Carterton 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 | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Student roll | Ministry of Education / Education Counts | September 2026 | 15 October 2026 |
| Equity Index | Education Counts | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Address & coordinates | Ministry of Education | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Contact details | NZ Schools Directory | Current | 15 October 2026 |
| Māori-medium immersion data | Māori Schools Directory, Ministry of Education | — | 6 September 2026 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Carterton School's official website | Current | 7 October 2026 |