Key facts
- School number2973
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1950
About Rata Street School
Rātā Street School is a co-educational state primary contributing school in New Zealand, catering for Year 1 to Year 6 pupils aged 5 to 11. The school opened in 1950 and has grown through several building additions and refurbishments since then.
The school has a notably diverse student population. The current ethnic composition is 44% NZ Māori, 25% Pacific, 21% NZ European/Pākehā, 4% Asian, and 6% other.
Literacy and numeracy achievement, including accelerated progress for students at risk of underachieving, are stated priorities. The school's cultural programme includes Te Whānau Puāwai, a group performing songs and dances from Māori, Samoan, and other Pacific cultures, and two kapa haka groups — Te Whānau Pihinga and Te Whānau Kākano. Support services on site include ESOL, a social worker through the Social Worker in Schools scheme, a public health nurse, and Learning Support Coordinators. An OSCAR before- and after-school care facility also operates at the school.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 507, Rata Street 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 Rata Street 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 Rata Street School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 109 students (33.4%)
- Asian — 40 students (12.3%)
- Pacific — 88 students (27%)
- Māori — 148 students (45.4%)
- MELAA — 23 students (7.1%)
- Other — 1 students (0.3%)
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.
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Hutt International Boys' School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 9.4 km
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Fergusson Intermediate (Trentham) Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 10.5 km
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Whitby Collegiate Secondary · Years 7–15 · 10.7 km
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Wainuiomata High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 6.1 km
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New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa Secondary · Years 9–15 · 8.8 km
Location
- Street addressRata Street
- SuburbNaenae
- CityLower Hutt
- Local authorityLower Hutt City
Official contact details
- ContactHamish Regan
- Phone+64 4 567 0096
- Emailadmin@ratastreet.school.nz
- Websitewww.ratastreet.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Rata Street School, regardless of year level.
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Naenae School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1 km
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Taita Central School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 2.1 km
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Belmont School (Lower Hutt) Contributing · Years 1–6 · 2.5 km
-
Kelson School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 2.9 km
-
Waterloo School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 3.2 km
Explore schools in Lower Hutt
Browse Lower Hutt schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
Rata Street School structures its transition to school as a three-stage process for new entrants.
- Readiness for School — sessions held each Wednesday from 9.00–11.00am, open to children from their fourth birthday. Run by Sandra Mallo. A drop-off service to local childcare providers is available after sessions if needed. Bookings are made through the school office.
- Classroom visits — three visits of increasing length, arranged by Caren McLachlan (Te Whānau Kākano Leader and New Entrant/Year 1 teacher), contactable at cmclachlan@ratastreet.school.nz. Parents may stay for the first visit. At the first visit, families must bring the child's birth certificate and immunisation certificate to complete formal enrolment with the Administration Manager, followed by a meeting with the Principal.
- Starting school — children begin on their fifth birthday, arriving at the office at 8.30am on the first day.
No enrolment zone boundaries or priority criteria are described in the available school content.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Rata Street 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 Rata Street 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 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Rata Street School's official website | Current | 24 October 2026 |