Key facts
- School number2686
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established5 February 1973
About Tamatea School
Tamatea Primary School is located in Napier, in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The school takes its name from Tamatea-pōkai-whenua, the ancestor who circumnavigated New Zealand and whose son Kahungunu became the founding ancestor of Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.
The school's connection to this whakapapa is expressed through two significant taonga on site. A two-metre totara wood carving of Tamatea was created by Hastings carver John Fowler and unveiled in December 1974, funded by a donation from retired teacher Vida Edser. The carving depicts Tamatea with his three pets — a dog, a lizard, and a seagull — along with a taiaha and traditional scroll and line decoration incorporating twenty-two pieces of paua shell. A painting by artist Warren Pohatu depicts the waka Tākitimu, which was commissioned by Tamatea-Arikinui and is central to the traditions of tribes along the eastern coastline of Aotearoa.
The school's stated vision is "Connected, Curious and Confident." A Home and School Association made up of whānau members supports the school through fundraising, and an after-school care programme called Beyond the Bell operates on site.
Enrolment
Enrolment scheme on recordTamatea 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 535, Tamatea 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 Tamatea 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 Tamatea School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 59 students (40.1%)
- Asian — 28 students (19%)
- Pacific — 18 students (12.2%)
- Māori — 89 students (60.5%)
- MELAA — 9 students (6.1%)
- Other — 1 students (0.7%)
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.
-
Havelock North Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 17.4 km
Location
- Street address10 Durham Avenue
- SuburbTamatea
- CityNapier
- Local authorityNapier City
Official contact details
- ContactRuth Woolhouse
- Phone+64 6 843 2147
- Emailoffice@tamateaprimary.school.nz
- Websitetamateaprimary.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Tamatea School, regardless of year level.
-
Bledisloe School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 3.5 km
-
Napier Central School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 4.1 km
-
Pakowhai School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 8 km
-
Mayfair School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 14.3 km
-
Havelock North Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 17.4 km
Explore schools in Napier
Browse Napier schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Student Support and Pastoral Care
Tamatea School has a Wellbeing Specialist based on-site, provided through a collaboration between Explore Specialist Advice and the Ministry of Education as part of a national programme.
- Wellbeing Specialist (Explore Specialist Advice) — works individually with students and/or whānau to address challenges they may be experiencing, using Te Whare Tapa Whā and the Mana Manaaki hui process to develop coping and self-management skills. Support can be accessed through self, whānau, or staff referral and is available at no cost.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Tamatea 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 Tamatea 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) | Tamatea School's official website | Current | 22 September 2026 |