Built from official New Zealand government data.

Rolleston School

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

A state primary school located in Rolleston, New Zealand, operating from Years 0 to 8. The school follows a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) framework and implements the KiVa anti-bullying programme alongside its own school-wide behaviour approach.

Last checked 20 September 2026 · Roll data from August 2026

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationRolleston
RegionCanterbury Region
School number3488
752
Students
as at August 2026
425
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number3488
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established13 June 1893
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Rolleston School

Rolleston School operates under the name Te Ahi Kaikōmako Rolleston School and serves students in Years 0–8. It is a state primary school, not faith-based or Māori-medium.

The school's character is shaped by two frameworks applied across the school. The first is E Tū Tāngata ("Stand Together"), a values approach centred on three principles: others matter, you have value, and we succeed together. For students in Years 0–2, a set of foundation values called Ahi Values introduces these ideas before the full E Tū Tāngata framework is introduced from Year 3. The second is PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning), a Ministry of Education initiative the school implements at Tier 1, which addresses behaviour support systems across the whole school.

The school also implements KiVa, an evidence-based anti-bullying programme developed by the University of Turku, Finland, and used in over 18 countries. KiVa operates through three elements: prevention, intervention, and annual monitoring via student surveys.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

Rolleston 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 425, Rolleston 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 Rolleston School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
425
Scale: 344–569
Band: Few (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 444.6
Rolleston School 425

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 591 students (78.6%)
  • Asian — 135 students (18%)
  • Pacific — 42 students (5.6%)
  • Māori — 99 students (13.2%)
  • MELAA — 38 students (5.1%)
  • Other — 3 students (0.4%)

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 — Rolleston School
Full Primary · Years 1–8

Potential next stage

Secondary options (further away or later entry)

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address11 Tennyson Street
  • CityRolleston
  • Local authoritySelwyn District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

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

Explore schools in Rolleston

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

Curriculum

Rolleston School organises teaching around inquiry-based themes that integrate multiple subjects. The school incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics as driving themes across curriculum programmes.

Frequently asked

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

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

It's a state school in the Canterbury 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. Rolleston 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.

752 students, according to the August 2026 roll data.

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