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Rimu School, Invercargill

Full Primary · Years 1–8 · Co-Educational · Rimu, Invercargill

A full primary state school located in a rural area approximately ten minutes from Invercargill, it serves students from new entrant level through to Year 8.

Last checked 16 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationInvercargill
RegionSouthland Region
School number4006
106
Students
as at September 2026
446
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number4006
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established26 January 1877
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Rimu School

Rimu School is a full primary school serving students from new entrant (Year 1) through to Year 8. It is located in a rural setting approximately 10 minutes from the city. The school describes its environment as supportive and caring, with a focus on meeting the individual needs of each student.

School donations

The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".

With an Equity Index of 446, Rimu 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 Rimu School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
446
Scale: 344–569
Band: Below 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 445
Rimu School 446

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 90 students (84.9%)
  • Asian — 10 students (9.4%)
  • Māori — 24 students (22.6%)

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 — Rimu School
Full Primary · Years 1–8
Potential next stage

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address442 Rimu Road
  • SuburbRimu
  • CityInvercargill
  • Local authoritySouthland District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

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

Explore schools in Invercargill

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

Contributing schools (9) Full Primary schools (5) Secondary schools (4) All schools in Invercargill →

Enrolment

Rimu School accepts enrolments from children turning five and from older students relocating to the area. Families living within the school zone are entitled to enrol their child. Zone boundaries can be checked via nzschools.tki.org.nz.

In-zone families can contact the school office or the New Entrant Teacher to be placed on the pre-entry list. The school encourages pre-schoolers to complete at least two pre-entry visits before their fifth birthday; the New Entrant Teacher contacts families to arrange the first visit.

Out-of-zone places are offered through a ballot, with expressions of interest accepted four times per year. Upcoming closing dates are:

  • Term 2 2026 — Friday 27 February, 3pm
  • Term 3 2026 — Friday 8 May, 3pm
  • Term 4 2026 — Friday 14 August, 3pm

Out-of-zone expressions of interest are submitted via a form available from the school office. Enrolment forms are also available from the office at office@rimu.school.nz or by phone on (03) 230 4415.

Frequently asked

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

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

It's a state school in the Southland 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.

106 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Rimu 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 Rimu 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) Rimu School's official website Current 16 October 2026