Key facts
- School number2939
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionSome students taught in te reo Māori
- Established26 January 1881
About Otaki School
Otaki School — Te Kura o Ōtaki — is a state primary school located in Ōtaki, situated between the Tararua ranges and the coast. The school operates within Te Rohe o Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, and the tikanga of Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga shapes its educational approach.
The school offers two distinct learning pathways, both of which incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori to varying degrees.
- Te Korowai Whakamana is a total immersion te reo Māori pathway for Years 0–8, comprising four classes. It is intended for kōhanga reo graduates and whānau seeking full Māori-medium education.
- Ngāi Kete is a bilingual pathway for Years 0–6, with instruction delivered in both English and Māori. Classes operate across bilingual levels 2 through 4, with the proportion of Māori-medium instruction ranging from 12% to 80% depending on the level.
The school's mission, expressed as Kia Ōtaki te tū ("Stand as Ōtaki"), was adopted in 2022. It centres on students developing a sense of identity and connection to Ōtaki — its history, whakapapa, reo, and tikanga — regardless of their own cultural background.
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Otaki 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 528, Otaki 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 Otaki 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 Otaki School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 66 students (31.6%)
- Asian — 6 students (2.9%)
- Pacific — 16 students (7.7%)
- Māori — 190 students (90.9%)
- MELAA — 2 students (1%)
- Other — 2 students (1%)
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.
-
Levin Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 18.4 km
Location
- Street addressMill Road
- CityŌtaki
- Local authorityKapiti Coast District
Official contact details
- ContactRauru Walker
- Phone+64 6 364 8704
- Emailadmin@otaki.school.nz
- Websitewww.otaki.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Otaki School, regardless of year level.
-
TKKM o Te Rito Composite · Years 1–15 · 836 m
-
Te Horo School (Otaki) Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 6.3 km
-
Ohau School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 13.7 km
-
Taitoko School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 17.9 km
-
Levin Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 18.4 km
Explore schools in Ōtaki
Browse Ōtaki schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Co-curricular Groups
Otaki School has four named Kapahaka rōpū, each with scheduled weekly sessions:
- Te Korowai Whakamana (teina rōpū) — Fridays, 9:30–10:30
- Te Korowai Whakamana (tuakana rōpū) — Fridays, 9:30–10:30
- Ngāi Kete — combined rōpū, Fridays, 11:00–12:20
- Te Kapa o Ōtaki
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Otaki 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 Otaki 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 |
| Māori-medium immersion data | Māori Schools Directory, Ministry of Education | — | 6 September 2026 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Otaki School's official website | Current | 1 October 2026 |