Key facts
- School number3982
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established30 January 1885
About Makarewa School
Makarewa School is a state primary school located 8 km north of Invercargill on State Highway 6, in the Southland region of New Zealand. It provides education for students from New Entrants to Year 6.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 440, Makarewa 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 Makarewa 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 Makarewa School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 139 students (89.7%)
- Asian — 9 students (5.8%)
- Pacific — 4 students (2.6%)
- Māori — 45 students (29%)
- MELAA — 1 students (0.6%)
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.
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James Hargest College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 7.3 km
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Southland Boys' High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 7.3 km
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Southland Girls' High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 9.8 km
Location
- Street address56 Flora Road
- SuburbMakarewa
- CityInvercargill
- Local authorityInvercargill City
Official contact details
- ContactKevin Silcock
- Phone+64 3 235 8556
- Emailadmin@makarewa.school.nz
- Websitewww.makarewa.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Makarewa School, regardless of year level.
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Sacred Heart School (Waikiwi) Contributing · Years 1–6 · 4.5 km
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Southland Adventist Christian School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 5.1 km
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Salford School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 6.7 km
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Myross Bush School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 7.1 km
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Windsor North School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 7.2 km
Explore schools in Invercargill
Browse Invercargill schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
Makarewa School operates an enrolment scheme, directed by the Ministry of Education, to manage school capacity.
Students living within the school's enrolment zone are entitled to enrol automatically. For out-of-zone students, the Board of Trustees runs two enrolment periods each year, with available out-of-zone places determined in September (for the first half of the following year) and May (for the second half). Vacancies are advertised in a local newspaper. If applications exceed available places, selection is made by ballot.
The enrolment zone boundaries include properties on both sides of boundary roads, as shown on the school's enrolment zone map.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Makarewa 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 Makarewa 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) | Makarewa School's official website | Current | 24 October 2026 |