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Queenstown Primary School

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

A state integrated full primary school located in central Queenstown, it has operated on its current site since 1975 and enrols around 650 students drawn from more than 30 nationalities.

Last checked 15 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationQueenstown
RegionOtago Region
School number4005
522
Students
as at September 2026
402
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number4005
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established29 April 1975
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Queenstown Primary School

Queenstown Primary School (QPS) is a state integrated full primary school located in central Queenstown, beneath the Skyline gondola and opposite Memorial Park. It has operated on its current site since 1975 and enrols approximately 650 students from more than 30 nationalities. The school's name in te reo Māori — Te Kura Tuatahi o Tāhuna — translates as "The First School in Queenstown".

The school's vision is Growing confident and future-focused learners, supported by three values: Manaaki (Care), Whakāute (Respect), and Ngākau tapatahi (Integrity).

A distinctive feature of QPS is its Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) focus. Students participate in outdoor activities including camping, skiing, ice skating, tramping, biking, kayaking, and paddle boarding. The school also structures classes so that students remain with the same teacher for two years, with the stated aim of strengthening relationships and reducing transition time.

The school incorporates te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into everyday school life and states a commitment to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in relation to Māori student achievement. Staff undertake Cultural Capability professional learning as part of this commitment.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

Queenstown Primary 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 402, Queenstown Primary 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 Queenstown Primary School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
402
Scale: 344–569
Band: Fewest (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 445
Queenstown Primary School 402

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 358 students (68.6%)
  • Asian — 105 students (20.1%)
  • Pacific — 13 students (2.5%)
  • Māori — 34 students (6.5%)
  • MELAA — 25 students (4.8%)
  • Other — 16 students (3.1%)
  • International — 1 students (0.2%)

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.

Current stage — Queenstown Primary School
Full Primary · Years 1–8
Secondary options (further away or later entry)

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address20 Robins Road
  • CityQueenstown
  • Local authorityQueenstown-Lakes District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Queenstown Primary School, regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Queenstown

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

Full Primary schools (3) Secondary schools (1) All schools in Queenstown →

Curriculum

Queenstown Primary School covers Years 0–8 and aligns its curriculum with the New Zealand Curriculum, Te Mātaiaho. The school follows the Ministry of Education's updated National Curriculum frameworks, with core teaching centred on English and Mathematics & Statistics.

Literacy is taught through a Structured Literacy approach, organised into three phases. Years 0–3 (Phase 1) focus on phonemic awareness and synthetic phonics. Years 4–8 (Phases 2 and 3) shift toward complex vocabulary, comprehension, and disciplinary knowledge of English. The school has worked with Learning MATTERS since 2019 to support consistent delivery of this approach. For Years 3–8, standardised assessments are conducted twice yearly using tools such as SMART, e-asTTle, or PATs.

Students also rotate through specialist subjects:

  • Physical education
  • Hard materials
  • Soft materials
  • Science
  • Music
  • Dance

The school uses a Project-Based Learning model alongside its core programmes. An elective initiative called Development of Talents (Dots) offers workshops in areas including coding and sewing. The school also runs a Māori and performing arts programme.

Frequently asked

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

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

It's a state school in the Otago 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. Queenstown Primary 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.

522 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Queenstown Primary 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 Queenstown Primary 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 — 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) Queenstown Primary School's official website Current 1 October 2026