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Island Bay School, Wellington

Contributing · Years 1–6 · Co-Educational · Island Bay, Wellington

A state primary school in Island Bay, Wellington, operating under the New Zealand Curriculum with an inquiry-based learning approach. It serves students from the local community, with a BYOD programme available to Year 4–6 students.

Last checked 15 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

Jump to: About · Extracurricular · Student support

At a glance

TypeContributing · Years 1–6
LocationWellington
RegionWellington Region
School number2865
347
Students
as at September 2026
371
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number2865
  • School typeContributing · Years 1–6
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established26 January 1900
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Island Bay School

Island Bay School is a Year 1–6 primary school located on the south coast of Wellington, in the Island Bay area. The school's stated curriculum vision is "Explore, Extend and Empower", with an emphasis on learning that is connected to meaningful and relevant contexts and that recognises the individual circumstances of each learner.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

Island Bay 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 may be requested".

With an Equity Index of 371, Island Bay School is below the 432 threshold newly required to opt into the donations scheme, though a school already receiving this funding from an earlier year may continue to do so. Outside the scheme, a school can still ask families for donations, but cannot compel or enforce payment.

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 Island Bay School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
371
Scale: 344–569
Band: Fewest (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
Island Bay School 371

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 307 students (88.5%)
  • Asian — 45 students (13%)
  • Pacific — 18 students (5.2%)
  • Māori — 37 students (10.7%)
  • MELAA — 16 students (4.6%)

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.

Current stage — Island Bay School
Contributing · Years 1–6
Potential next stage
Secondary options (further away or later entry)

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street addressThames Street
  • SuburbIsland Bay
  • CityWellington
  • Local authorityWellington City

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Island Bay School, regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Wellington

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

Full Primary schools (20) Contributing schools (18) Intermediate schools (3) Composite schools (1) Other (2) All schools in Wellington →

Co-curricular and Enrichment Activities

Island Bay School offers the following named programmes and activities:

  • Freedom Friday Enrichment Programme — runs on Fridays from 9.30–11am in 8 to 10 week cycles; past options have included Forest School, cooking, wearable arts, and vex robotics
  • Garden to Table — a sustainability programme in which students grow food organically and learn about nutrition and food origins; the school works with Wellington City Council's Waste Heroes Programme
  • Science with Dianne — each class receives a dedicated science slot twice a term, covering topics such as lunar science for junior and middle school, and terraforming for senior students
  • Art with Kristy — students visit the art room once a term to work with a visual art specialist, covering ceramics, printmaking, painting, textiles, and sculpture
  • Kapa haka / Te Reo extension classes
  • School Orchestra & Band
  • Chess Club
  • Junior & Senior Choir and Artsplash
  • Dancesplash
  • Student Council
  • School sport — includes swimming (usually at Kilbirnie Aquatic Centre), gymnastics, cricket, hockey, and Pedal Ready
  • EOTC week (Education Outside the Classroom), including school camp

Student Support and Pastoral Care

Island Bay School provides the following named student support services:

  • Learning Support Coordinator: oversees safety plans for students with health needs, and is the responsible contact for allergies and medical requirements at school.
  • Whānau Group: a group of Island Bay families that meets twice per term to strengthen Tikanga Māori through te reo practice, waiata, and community building. It organises four core annual events — mihi whakatau at the start of each term, Matariki, noho marae, and mihi whakamutunga at year's end.
  • School Patrol: a student safety service led by Year 6 students, trained termly by the Police School Community Officer, patrolling crossings on Clyde Street and Thames Street at drop-off and pick-up times.

Frequently asked

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

Island Bay School is classified as a Contributing school serving Years 1–6.

It's a state school in the Wellington 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. Island Bay 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.

347 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Island Bay School'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 Island Bay School'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) Island Bay School's official website Current 7 October 2026