Key facts
- School number3746
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1864
About Hampden School
Hampden School is a state full primary school located at 41–47 Norwich Street, Hampden, North Otago, a small coastal township situated 32 kilometres south of Oamaru and 25 kilometres north of Palmerston. The school opened in 1864 and has served the township and surrounding rural area since that time.
The school draws students from a catchment that runs along a narrow coastal strip, bounded by the sea to the east and hills to the west, extending from Moeraki and Trotters Gorge in the south to the settlement of Herbert in the north. The local community is employed across farming, fishing, tourism, and mining, and the area has seen increasing use of local housing as holiday homes.
Hampden School identifies as the Tangata Whenua School to the local Moeraki Marae. The school's four stated values are Manaakitanga (aroha, mana, respect), Whanaungatanga (connection, belonging, relationships), Angitūtanga (success, progress, positive thinking), and Rangatiratanga (leadership, self-management, determination).
The school building is a wooden structure, remodelled in 1989 and again in 2013–2014. Facilities include a heated swimming pool, a hall and gymnasium, an adventure playground, a tennis court, and large sealed areas. The Year 7 and 8 programme includes outings with Maheno School and technology classes at Oamaru Intermediate.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 489, Hampden 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 Hampden 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 Hampden School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 29 students (90.6%)
- Asian — 2 students (6.3%)
- Pacific — 4 students (12.5%)
- Māori — 9 students (28.1%)
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.
-
East Otago High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 18.6 km
Location
- Street address41-47 Norwich Street
- CityHampden
- Local authorityWaitaki District
Official contact details
- ContactSiobhan Murphy
- Phone+64 3 439 4603
- Emailoffice@hampden.school.nz
- Websitewww.hampden.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Hampden School, regardless of year level.
-
East Otago High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 18.6 km
-
Totara School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 23.7 km
-
Waitaki Girls' High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 29.1 km
-
Pembroke School (Oamaru) Contributing · Years 1–6 · 30.4 km
-
Waitaki Boys' High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 30.9 km
Explore schools in Hampden
Browse Hampden schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
Hampden School does not publish detailed enrolment steps, required documents, zone boundaries, or priority criteria on its website. To obtain an enrolment pack or further information, contact the school directly:
- Chris (Office Administrator) — 03 439 4603 or office@hampden.school.nz
- Matt (Principal) — principal@hampden.school.nz
An enrolment form is also available on the school's website.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Hampden 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 Hampden 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 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Hampden School's official website | Current | 12 October 2026 |