Built from official New Zealand government data.
Home/ Schools/ Wellington/ Te Ara Activity Centre

Te Ara Activity Centre, Kaiwharawhara (Wellington)

Activity Centre · Co-Educational · Kaiwharawhara, Wellington

A small alternative education centre in Wellington serving secondary-aged students who face learning or behavioural barriers, with the aim of supporting their return to mainstream schooling. It operates with approximately 20 students and four staff, delivering NCEA credits through Te Kura, and has been established for over 25 years.

Last checked 16 October 2026

At a glance

TypeActivity Centre
LocationWellington
RegionWellington Region
School number6128
—
Students
569
Equity Index
No
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number6128
  • School typeActivity Centre
  • AuthorityState
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Established17 November 1858
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Te Ara Activity Centre

Te Ara Activity Centre is a Wellington-based alternative education centre for secondary-aged students. It has operated for over 25 years and has approximately 20 students and 4 staff, of whom 2 are funded by the Ministry of Education.

The centre is designed for students whose learning, social, or behavioural needs are not well served by mainstream schooling. Students follow an individualised learning plan, with NCEA delivered through Te Kura (The Correspondence School). The stated aim is to support students in returning to mainstream schooling or progressing to further education or employment.

Te Ara is partially funded by a Ministry of Education grant but relies on external sponsorship and donations to cover costs including youth workers' wages. Named funders include the Vavasour Charitable Trust and the Macarthy Trust.

Enrolment

No enrolment scheme listed

No enrolment scheme is currently listed for Te Ara Activity Centre 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".

With an Equity Index of 569, Te Ara Activity Centre 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 Te Ara Activity Centre actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
569
Scale: 344–569
Band: Most (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
Te Ara Activity Centre 569

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address7 Fore Street
  • SuburbKaiwharawhara
  • CityWellington
  • Local authorityWellington City

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Te Ara Activity Centre, regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Wellington

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

Full Primary schools (20) Contributing schools (18) Intermediate schools (3) Composite schools (1) Other (2) All schools in Wellington →

Frequently asked

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

Its Ministry of Education classification is "Activity Centre".

It's a state school in the Wellington 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.

No enrolment scheme is currently listed for Te Ara Activity Centre in the available Ministry of Education data. Check the current Ministry of Education information or contact the school for the latest enrolment arrangements.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Te Ara Activity Centre'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 Te Ara Activity Centre'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 — 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) Te Ara Activity Centre's official website Current 16 October 2026