Key facts
- School number2926
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionSome students taught in te reo Māori
- Established26 January 1879
About Newtown School
Newtown School, also known as Te Kura o ngā Puna Waiora, is a state primary school in Newtown, Wellington, catering for students in Years 1 to 6. The school's motto is "Love learning, love life!"
A distinctive feature of the school is Ngāti Kotahitanga, a Te Reo Māori bilingual and full immersion class that extends from Years 1 to 8, two years beyond the school's mainstream year range. The programme follows tikanga Māori practices, including mihi whakatau for new whānau each term and regular whānau hui. Enrolment into Ngāti Kotahitanga requires a pre-arranged mihi whakatau with the kaiako matua.
The school describes its aims in terms of cultural identity, personal achievement, and life skills. Its student population is culturally diverse, and this is reflected in the school's logo, which incorporates imagery representing the school as a multicultural environment alongside references to the local landscape, including Mātairangi (Mt Victoria).
The Board of Trustees is elected under the Education Act 1989 and operates a co-governance model. Board meetings include a public session open to all community members.
Enrolment
Enrolment scheme on recordNewtown 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 should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 417, Newtown 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 Newtown 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 Newtown School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 110 students (34.5%)
- Asian — 112 students (35.1%)
- Pacific — 41 students (12.9%)
- Māori — 64 students (20.1%)
- MELAA — 55 students (17.2%)
- Other — 4 students (1.3%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street addressMein Street
- SuburbNewtown
- CityWellington
- Local authorityWellington City
Official contact details
- ContactNicki Read
- Phone+64 4 389 6667
- Emailadmin@newtown.school.nz
- Websitewww.newtown.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Newtown School, regardless of year level.
-
Thorndon School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 4.1 km
-
Seatoun School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 5.1 km
-
Bellevue School (Newlands) Contributing · Years 1–6 · 10.2 km
-
Naenae School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 18.3 km
-
Tawhai School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 23.3 km
Explore schools in Wellington
Browse Wellington schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Co-curricular Activities
The following named co-curricular activities are offered at Newtown School:
- Guitar lessons — one-on-one or group, all styles and levels (acoustic and electric), taught by Julian Taylor (BMus) during the school day; $22 per half-hour for individual lessons; Trinity Guildhall exam options available
- Dynamite Music Group piano lessons
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Newtown 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 Newtown 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 | — | 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 |
| Māori-medium immersion data | Māori Schools Directory, Ministry of Education | — | 6 September 2026 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Newtown School's official website | Current | 18 September 2026 |