Mackenzie College, Fairlie — School Profile

Key facts

School number353
School typeSecondary · Years 7–15
AuthorityState
GenderCo-Educational
BoardingNo
Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
Established1 February 1971

About Mackenzie College

Mackenzie College is a secondary school situated in a rural setting. The school describes its character through five core values, each expressed in both English and te reo Māori: Manaakitanga (Kindness and Respect), Wawata (Aspire), Niwha (Grit), Tika (Integrity), and Auaha (Creativity).

The school's rural location is presented as a defining feature of its environment, with students participating in both classroom learning and co-curricular activities.

Enrolment

No enrolment scheme listed

No enrolment scheme is currently listed for Mackenzie College 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 451, Mackenzie 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 Mackenzie College actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA

451

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 442.4

Mackenzie College 451

Student ethnicity

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

European — 163 students (84%)
Asian — 14 students (7.2%)
Pacific — 6 students (3.1%)
Māori — 21 students (10.8%)
MELAA — 1 students (0.5%)
Other — 1 students (0.5%)

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

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap

Street addressKirke Street
CityFairlie
Local authorityMackenzie District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Mackenzie College, regardless of year level.

Geraldine High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 33.8 km
Waihi School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 37.4 km
Mountainview High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 43.8 km
Timaru Boys' High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 46.3 km
Aoraki Mount Cook School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 70.8 km

Explore schools in Fairlie

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

Secondary schools (1) All schools in Fairlie →

Curriculum and Subjects

Mackenzie College offers a curriculum from Years 7 to 13. In the junior school, all subjects are compulsory. Subject specialisation begins from Year 11.

Years 7 and 8

Students in Years 7 and 8 are taught in composite classes containing both year groups, by subject specialists in subject-specific rooms. Subjects taught include:

English
Maths
Science
Social Studies
Health and PE
Food and Fabric Technology
Workshop Technology
Digital Technology
Visual Arts
Languages: Māori
Itinerant Music

Years 9 and 10

Students are taught within their respective year groups. All subjects remain compulsory at this level. Subjects taught include:

English
Maths
Science
Social Studies
Health and PE
Food and Technology
Workshop Technology
Digital Technology
Visual Arts
Languages: Māori and Chinese
Outdoor Education

Senior School (Years 11–13)

Senior students work towards NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement), with subjects incorporating a mixture of internal and external assessments. The school also offers Gateway and Vocational Pathway courses for students pursuing trade-based pathways. Gateway includes a 20-day work placement alongside relevant NCEA standards. Vocational Pathway courses involve study with a tertiary provider, typically a polytechnic. Distance and digital learning are used to extend the range of subjects available. Both Gateway and Vocational Pathway courses are completed alongside other traditional school subjects.

Sports and Activities

Mackenzie College offers the following named sports and activities:

Rugby
Netball
Basketball
Hockey
Volleyball
Snowsports
Mountain biking
Coast to Coast
Equestrian
Rock climbing
Kayaking

Student Support and Pastoral Care

Mackenzie College provides pastoral care through several named roles and structures.

Form teachers — monitor individual student progress and provide day-to-day pastoral support.
Year-level deans — work alongside form teachers to closely oversee student wellbeing and progress at each year level.
SENCO — part of the dedicated pastoral team, providing individualised support to students.
Guidance counsellor — on-site staff who connect students with further support as needed.
Peer support programme — senior students mentor junior students through a vertical form system, which groups students across year levels to strengthen relationships and build a sense of belonging.
Komodo wellbeing platform — a digital tool used to track and respond to student wellbeing needs proactively.

Facilities

Mackenzie College has a range of specialist spaces available to students:

Science laboratories
Technology workshops
Kitchen spaces
Art room
Music room
Gymnasium
Classrooms (recently renovated)

Frequently asked

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

Mackenzie College is classified as a Secondary (Year 7-15) school serving Years 7–15.

It's a state school in the Canterbury 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.

194 students, according to the August 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Mackenzie 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 Mackenzie College'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	—	7 September 2026
Student roll	Ministry of Education / Education Counts	August 2026	7 September 2026
Equity Index	Education Counts	—	7 September 2026
Address & coordinates	Ministry of Education	—	7 September 2026
Contact details	NZ Schools Directory	Current	7 September 2026
School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed)	Mackenzie College's official website	Current	22 September 2026