Key facts
- School number3570
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1873
About Pegasus Bay School
Pegasus Bay School, known in te reo Māori as Te Kura o Manga Kawari, is a state primary school located in Pegasus, North Canterbury. It traces its origins to Waikuku School, a small rural school founded in 1873. The school relocated from Waikuku to its current site in Pegasus in 2014, at which point it was renamed to reflect the range of communities it serves.
The school operates as a English-medium, non-faith-based school. Its character is shaped by its coastal and rural setting — the school's stated approach emphasises outdoor experience and connection to the local environment, including nearby beaches, lake, forest, wetlands, and river.
Three values underpin the school's approach: Kaitiaki (guardianship), Whanaungatanga (relationships and community), and Ako (reciprocal learning).
The school has a stated commitment to digital learning and provides devices to all students to ensure equitable access. It holds an Apple Distinguished School designation, which recognises programmes meeting Apple's criteria for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence in the use of Apple technology.
Enrolment
Enrolment scheme on recordPegasus Bay 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 may be requested".
With an Equity Index of 422, Pegasus Bay 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 Pegasus Bay 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 Pegasus Bay School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 369 students (87.2%)
- Asian — 37 students (8.7%)
- Pacific — 11 students (2.6%)
- Māori — 53 students (12.5%)
- MELAA — 22 students (5.2%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street address5 Solander Road
- CityPegasus
- Local authorityWaimakariri District
Official contact details
- ContactJared Kelly
- Phone+64 3 920 7000
- Emailadmin@pegasusbay.school.nz
- Websitewww.pegasusbay.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Pegasus Bay School, regardless of year level.
-
Ōuruhia Model School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 14.6 km
-
Marian College Secondary · Years 9–15 · 20 km
-
Paparoa Street School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 21.4 km
-
Selwyn House School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 23.1 km
-
The Cathedral Grammar School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 24.3 km
Explore schools in Pegasus
Browse Pegasus schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Student Support Services
Pegasus Bay School has a dedicated learning support structure involving the following named roles and services:
- Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) — Rachel Robinson: Identifies student needs, develops support strategies and plans, liaises with teachers, connects with other LSCs across the cluster or Kāhui Ako, and leads school-wide communication with parents and whānau regarding learning support decisions.
- Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) — Di Murphy: Works alongside the LSC and classroom teachers to identify needs and develop strategies to support student learning progression and well-being.
- Teacher Aides: Provided through additional school board resourcing to support students in learning. Teacher aides communicate regularly with teaching staff and participate in ongoing professional development and annual appraisal.
- Collaborative Action Plans (CAPs): Documented plans developed with input from parents, students, and staff to set out identified needs, required support, and expected outcomes. Parents choose whether their child participates and are included in all related decisions.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Pegasus Bay 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 Pegasus Bay 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 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Pegasus Bay School's official website | Current | 22 September 2026 |