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Lawrence Area School

Composite · Years 1–15 · Co-Educational · Lawrence

A state composite area school in Lawrence, Central Otago, catering for students from New Entrant to Year 13 (ages 5–18). It serves a rural community and, as an area school, offers a continuous single-site education across all year levels.

Last checked 15 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

At a glance

TypeComposite · Years 1–15
LocationLawrence
RegionOtago Region
School number390
129
Students
as at September 2026
460
Equity Index
No
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number390
  • School typeComposite · Years 1–15
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established26 January 1861
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Lawrence Area School

Lawrence Area School is a state area school located in Lawrence, Central Otago, catering for students from New Entrant through to Year 13 (ages 5 to 18). Area schools are composite schools, predominantly rural and isolated, that provide continuous education across all year levels within a single institution.

The school operates under the motto Strive to Excel and identifies four core values: Respect, Responsibility, Motivation and Honesty. Its stated mission centres on developing lifelong learners.

As an area school, Lawrence draws on the structural advantages common to the model — flexible programmes, small class sizes, and a mixed-age environment. The school has links with Waitahuna School, which contributes pupils at Year 7, and with local preschools including Waitahuna Playgroup and Goldfields Kindergarten.

The school site includes sports grounds, gardens, a gymnasium, laboratory, library, and adventure playground. On-site community facilities include the Tuapeka Aquatic Centre, Lawrence Skatepark, and Simpson Park complex. The school's buildings are described as the result of a recent rebuild.

The current principal is Dave Bagwell (Tumuaki/Principal).

Enrolment

No enrolment scheme listed

No enrolment scheme is currently listed for Lawrence Area 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 460, Lawrence Area 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 Lawrence Area School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
460
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
Lawrence Area School 460

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 102 students (79.1%)
  • Asian — 6 students (4.7%)
  • Pacific — 1 students (0.8%)
  • Māori — 39 students (30.2%)
  • MELAA — 4 students (3.1%)
  • Other — 1 students (0.8%)

Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address18 Harrington Street
  • CityLawrence
  • Local authorityClutha District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Lawrence Area School, regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Lawrence

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

Composite schools (1) All schools in Lawrence →

Co-curricular Activities

Lawrence Area School offers the following named co-curricular groups and clubs:

  • Kapa Haka
  • Lawrence Netball Club
  • Lawrence Junior Rugby Club
  • Tuapeka Swim Club

Frequently asked

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

Lawrence Area School is classified as a Composite school serving Years 1–15.

It's a state school in the Otago 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.

No enrolment scheme is currently listed for Lawrence Area School in the available Ministry of Education data. Check the current Ministry of Education information or contact the school for the latest enrolment arrangements.

129 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Lawrence Area 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 Lawrence Area 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) Lawrence Area School's official website Current 29 September 2026