Key facts
- School number518
- School typeSpecialist School
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established17 November 1858
About Kingslea School
Kingslea School is a state composite school serving students aged 7 to 19, operating across eight campuses throughout New Zealand — three in Auckland, one in Rotorua, three in Christchurch, and one in Dunedin. It is classified as a decile one school and is funded through operational funding from the Ministry of Education.
All students meet the Ministry of Education's profile for priority learners and are enrolled in connection with care and protection or youth justice matters. Campuses include four youth justice residences, one care and protection residence, and three community campuses for young people on the edge of care. Students at Arahina ki Ōtautahi in Christchurch are referred through Oranga Tamariki social workers.
The school delivers the core curriculum, with a focus on literacy, numeracy, and physical education. It operates on a standard four-term year. All teachers are fully registered.
The school's origins date to 1902, when Te Oranga Reformatory School opened in Christchurch under the Department of Education. The institution was renamed several times — Burwood Girls Home in 1928, Girls Training Centre in 1945 — before becoming Kingslea in 1965.
The school's stated vision is 'Rediscover the magic of learning', with an emphasis on creating structured, predictable environments to support self-regulation and re-engagement with education. Individualised learning and transitional pathways are described as central to its approach.
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Kingslea School in the available Ministry of Education data. Check the current Ministry of Education information or contact the school for the latest enrolment arrangements.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 569, Kingslea 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 Kingslea 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 Kingslea School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 37 students (31.6%)
- Pacific — 17 students (14.5%)
- Māori — 89 students (76.1%)
- MELAA — 2 students (1.7%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street address19 Pavitt Street
- SuburbRichmond
- CityChristchurch
- Local authorityChristchurch City
Official contact details
- ContactTina Lomax
- Phone+64 3 389 6708
- Emailadmin@kingslea.school.nz
- Websitewww.kingslea.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Kingslea School, regardless of year level.
-
St Mary's School (Christchurch) Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 1.3 km
-
Catholic Cathedral College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1.9 km
-
Te Aratai College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 2.1 km
-
St Albans School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 2.2 km
-
The Cathedral Grammar School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 2.2 km
Explore schools in Christchurch
Browse Christchurch schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Kingslea 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 Kingslea 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) | Kingslea School's official website | Current | 4 October 2026 |