Key facts
- School number4143
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established7 September 1967
About Tamariki School
Tamariki School is a state school in New Zealand with a maximum roll of 60 students, catering to children aged 5 to 13. It operates as an alternative school, with its approach centred on three stated pillars: learning through play, a special character, and a structured meeting system.
The school places emphasis on each child's individual developmental pattern rather than a uniform academic programme. It draws on multigenerational community involvement — former students have enrolled their own children at the school, and some former parents are now involved as grandparents of current students.
The principal is Blake Michell, himself a former pupil of the school, who previously taught at Curranbena, an alternative school in Sydney.
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Tamariki School in the available Ministry of Education data. Check the current Ministry of Education information or contact the school for the latest enrolment arrangements.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
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 Tamariki 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 Tamariki School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 46 students (90.2%)
- Asian — 5 students (9.8%)
- Pacific — 4 students (7.8%)
- Māori — 11 students (21.6%)
- MELAA — 1 students (2%)
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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Catholic Cathedral College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 3.6 km
-
Cashmere High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 5.6 km
Location
- Street address86 St John's Street
- SuburbWoolston
- CityChristchurch
- Local authorityChristchurch City
Official contact details
- ContactBlake Michell
- Phone+64 3 384 9014
- Emailadmin@tamariki.school.nz
- Websitewww.tamariki.school.nz/
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Tamariki School, regardless of year level.
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Catholic Cathedral College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 3.6 km
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Cashmere High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 5.6 km
-
Clearview Primary Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 25.7 km
-
Darfield High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 47.6 km
-
Ashburton Christian School Composite · Years 1–10 · 84.1 km
Explore schools in Christchurch
Browse Christchurch schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Curriculum
Tamariki School does not follow a conventional subject-based curriculum. Attendance at classes is generally voluntary, and no class stratifications apply until Year 7. Children work at their individual level of competence regardless of age.
The school's curriculum approach centres on self-directed learning through play. Children manage their own learning goals and daily activities, including booking specific spaces and equipment subject to time, activity, safety, and scope limitations. Public grading is not used, and norm-referenced testing is not part of the school's practice. No adult may demand to see a child's work; access to a child's work remains under the child's control.
Mistakes are treated as learning information rather than as failures. The school's stated teaching focus is to identify and build on what children do well, applying those strengths to areas of difficulty.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Tamariki 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 Tamariki 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 | — | 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) | Tamariki School's official website | Current | 17 September 2026 |