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St Clair School, Dunedin

Contributing · Years 1–6 · Co-Educational · St Clair, Dunedin

A state primary school located in the St Clair suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand. It offers specialist programmes in music, physical education, and Mandarin, with Mandarin lessons provided to all students in years 2–6.

Last checked 20 September 2026 · Roll data from August 2026

Jump to: About · Curriculum · Extracurricular

At a glance

TypeContributing · Years 1–6
LocationDunedin
RegionOtago Region
School number3835
368
Students
as at August 2026
422
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number3835
  • School typeContributing · Years 1–6
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established30 January 1896
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About St Clair School

St Clair School is a New Zealand primary school whose vision and values draw on both te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. The school's vision statement is grounded in the whakataukī He kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rakiātea — "I am a seed sown in Rakiātea" — expressing the idea that well-nurtured children have the potential to grow into whatever they choose.

The school organises its values under four headings:

  • Resilience (kia kaha) — a growth mindset, learning from challenges and mistakes, and attention to hauora across spiritual, physical, mental, and whānau dimensions
  • Manaaki — caring and respectful relationships with people, places, and the wider community
  • Belonging (our place / turangawaewae) — an inclusive environment in which every student has the right to be present and to be themselves
  • Pono — responsibility, honesty, and courage in choices and actions

The school's logo depicts birds soaring above waves, representing staff and students living out these values while engaging in continuous learning.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

St Clair 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 422, St Clair 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 St Clair School actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
422
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
St Clair School 422

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 276 students (75%)
  • Asian — 52 students (14.1%)
  • Pacific — 21 students (5.7%)
  • Māori — 75 students (20.4%)
  • MELAA — 25 students (6.8%)
  • Other — 2 students (0.5%)

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 — St Clair School
Contributing · Years 1–6
Potential next stage
Secondary options (further away or later entry)

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address135 Richardson Street
  • SuburbSt Clair
  • CityDunedin
  • Local authorityDunedin City

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to St Clair School, regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Dunedin

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

Secondary schools (4) Contributing schools (3) Intermediate schools (2) All schools in Dunedin →

Curriculum

St Clair School uses an integrated curriculum approach called Pohewa, which combines play-based learning with curriculum delivery. Through this approach, children explore content across several learning areas:

  • Science
  • Social sciences
  • Technology
  • The arts
  • Health and physical education

Within the Pohewa approach, reading, writing, and communication are also part of learning activities. Teachers design provocations and invitations to extend learning, and deliver explicit teaching workshops alongside child-directed exploration. Children are encouraged to make choices about their learning, collaborate with peers, and develop increasing independence.

Co-curricular Activities and Sports

St Clair School offers sports linked to major sporting bodies and associations, with parent team managers required for all teams. The following named sports are offered:

  • Hockey — available to Years 1–6, played at McMillan Hockey Centre and King's High School; Years 5–6 have Developing and Competitive levels; season fee is $470 per team plus a $12.50 per-player affiliation fee via PlayHQ
  • Flippa Ball — available to Years 3–6, played at Moana Pool on Sunday afternoons; cost is $40 per player; all equipment supplied
  • Netball — available to Years 1–6
  • Touch — offered in Term 4
  • Futsal — offered in Term 4

Frequently asked

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

St Clair School is classified as a Contributing school serving Years 1–6.

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. St Clair 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.

368 students, according to the August 2026 roll data.

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