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Paraparaumu School

Full Primary · Years 1–8 · Co-Educational · Paraparaumu

A state primary school established in 1889, making it one of the older schools in the Kāpiti Coast region. It caters to students from new entrants through to Year 8.

Last checked 20 September 2026 · Roll data from August 2026

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationParaparaumu
RegionWellington Region
School number2949
301
Students
as at August 2026
463
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number2949
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionSome students taught in te reo Māori
  • Established27 January 1889
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About Paraparaumu School

Paraparaumu School is a state primary school located in Paraparaumu, on the Kāpiti Coast. It was established in 1889, when Mrs Ramage opened an aided school in a building provided by local settler Mr Howell, beginning with 26 pupils. The Wellington Education Board formally approved the school's opening on 30 January 1889. The school moved to its current site in 1890.

The school is co-educational and caters for students from new entrants through to Year 8. It operates a house group system, introduced in 2014, with four houses: Pōhutukawa, Mānuka, Rātā, and Kōwhai. The school is governed by a Board of Trustees and is led by a principal.

The school has a range of established annual traditions, including the Easter Bonnet Parade, the Flower Show, the Great Bake Off, and a Bedtime Stories Evening held each Term 3. A dedicated inquiry learning space, Te Puna Matauranga, was opened in 2010, and the school library is named Kotuku Library.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

Paraparaumu 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 463, Paraparaumu 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 Paraparaumu School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
463
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 441.9
Paraparaumu School 463

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 239 students (79.4%)
  • Asian — 14 students (4.7%)
  • Pacific — 26 students (8.6%)
  • Māori — 92 students (30.6%)
  • MELAA — 6 students (2%)

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

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street addressRuapehu Street
  • CityParaparaumu
  • Local authorityKapiti Coast District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Paraparaumu School, regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Paraparaumu

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

Full Primary schools (1) All schools in Paraparaumu →

Frequently asked

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

Paraparaumu School is classified as a Full Primary school serving Years 1–8.

It's a state school in the Wellington 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.

Yes. Paraparaumu 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.

301 students, according to the August 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Paraparaumu 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 Paraparaumu 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 — 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) Paraparaumu School's official website Current 20 September 2026