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Romahapa School, Balclutha

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

A rural primary school located south of Balclutha in South Otago, it draws students from several surrounding communities. It is described as the oldest school of its kind in the South Otago area.

Last checked 15 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationBalclutha
RegionOtago Region
School number3811
66
Students
as at September 2026
438
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number3811
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established17 November 1858
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Romahapa School

Romahapa School is a rural primary school located south of Balclutha, west of Kaka Point, and north of Owaka in the South Otago region. It is described as the oldest school of its kind in the South Otago area.

The school draws students from the surrounding communities of Paretai, Kaka Point, Glenoamaru, Owaka, Balclutha, and Romahapa. Its approach emphasises student agency in learning within a non-urban, open environment.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

Romahapa 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 should not be requested, unless for a school camp".

With an Equity Index of 438, Romahapa 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 Romahapa School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
438
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
Romahapa School 438

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 59 students (89.4%)
  • Asian — 2 students (3%)
  • Pacific — 10 students (15.2%)
  • Māori — 6 students (9.1%)
  • MELAA — 1 students (1.5%)

Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street addressSchool Road
  • CityBalclutha
  • Local authorityClutha District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

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

Explore schools in Balclutha

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

Full Primary schools (2) All schools in Balclutha →

Frequently asked

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

Romahapa 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. Romahapa 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.

66 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Romahapa 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 Romahapa 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) Romahapa School's official website Current 27 September 2026