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Central Southland College, Winton

Secondary · Years 9–15 · Co-Educational · Winton

A co-educational state secondary school in Winton, Southland, it opened in 1965 and serves students from Years 9 to 13. The school has a roll of approximately 680 and is rated Decile 7 by the Ministry of Education.

Last checked 15 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

Jump to: About · Curriculum · Facilities

At a glance

TypeSecondary · Years 9–15
LocationWinton
RegionSouthland Region
School number399
659
Students
as at September 2026
462
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number399
  • School typeSecondary · Years 9–15
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established1 February 1965
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Central Southland College

Central Southland College is a co-educational state secondary school in Winton, Southland, which opened in 1965. It serves students from Year 9 to Year 13 and has a roll of approximately 680 students. The school holds a Decile 7 rating from the Ministry of Education.

The school draws its students from a wide rural catchment, including the small towns and districts of Winton, Centre Bush, Drummond, Lochiel, Nightcaps, and Hedgehope, along with surrounding farmland. Most students travel to school by free school bus. Approximately 12% of the school community identifies as Māori.

Winton is located 30 minutes north of Invercargill by road. The school's facilities include a technology suite, library, gymnasium, swimming pool, laboratories, hall, and drama suite. School buildings are also used by community groups outside school hours.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

Central Southland College 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 462, Central Southland College 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 Central Southland College actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
462
Scale: 344–569
Band: Average (2026)
WHAT IT MEANS

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 →

EQI scale (344–569)
Directory avg 445
Central Southland College 462

Student ethnicity

The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Central Southland College's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.

  • European — 484 students (73.4%)
  • Asian — 125 students (19%)
  • Pacific — 15 students (2.3%)
  • Māori — 128 students (19.4%)
  • MELAA — 8 students (1.2%)
  • Other — 8 students (1.2%)
  • International — 4 students (0.6%)

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.

Previous stage
Current stage — Central Southland College
Secondary · Years 9–15

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address174 MacKenzie Street
  • CityWinton
  • Local authoritySouthland District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Central Southland College, regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Winton

Browse Winton schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.

Full Primary schools (2) Secondary schools (1) All schools in Winton →

Curriculum

Central Southland College teaches towards NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement), covering Levels 1, 2, and 3 through a mix of internal, external, written, and practical assessment.

Year 9 and Year 10 students each select courses spanning seven of eight learning areas. Core requirements at both year levels include two Maths courses, at least one English course, and at least one Science course. The compulsory Science course is called "Science Matters!" at Year 9 and "Reaction Time" at Year 10. English requirements can be met either by a second English course or by two literacy-rich courses from other learning areas.

Year 11 students must select two Numeracy courses and three Literacy courses, again drawn from seven of eight learning areas.

Named courses available across Year 9 and Year 10 include:

  • Agriculture
  • Art and Visual Art
  • Commerce
  • Dance
  • Design & Visual (DTG and DVC)
  • Drama
  • ESOL
  • Food Technology
  • French
  • Health
  • Japanese
  • Literacy Foundation
  • Media Studies
  • Music
  • Outdoor Education
  • PE & Health
  • Psychology
  • Social Studies
  • Spanish
  • Te Reo Māori
  • Technology
  • Textile Design / Textiles

Facilities

The following named facility is described in available school information:

  • Library — open Monday to Friday, 8.30am–3.45pm; holds physical books, eBooks, and audiobooks; includes spaces for multiple groups simultaneously.

Frequently asked

These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Central Southland College's own official Ministry of Education data already shown on this page, so what you read here always matches the figures above.

Central Southland College is classified as a Secondary (Year 9-15) school serving Years 9–15.

It's a state school in the Southland region. New Zealand domestic students are generally entitled to free enrolment and education at state schools.

Yes. It's a co-educational school, enrolling both boys and girls.

Yes. Central Southland College 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.

659 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Central Southland College's students face, on average. The Ministry uses the Equity Index to help target funding and support. It is not a measure of school quality or academic performance.

Sources & methodology

Every fact on this page traces back to one of the rows below — official Ministry of Education data, or Central Southland College's own published information, reviewed before publication. Nothing here is inferred or estimated beyond what its source actually states.

DataSourceData periodLast 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
School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) Central Southland College's official website Current 22 September 2026