Key facts
- School number4146
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1972
About Timatanga Community School
Timatanga Community School is a state-integrated, special character primary school in Auckland, catering to students from Year 1 to Year 8. It operates as a secular, democratic, parent co-operative, with a Ministry of Education roll cap of 30 students and two teachers on site at all times.
The school began as a private "Free School" funded and taught entirely by parents, many of whom were trained teachers. Children lived and attended school on the property. It became state-integrated in 1989, after which students began attending from across Auckland.
The school's educational approach draws on the philosophies of A.S. Neill, John Holt, and New Zealand Playcentre, with an emphasis on inquiry- and discovery-based learning that is child-centred and largely child-initiated. Morning sessions are teacher-led in response to student interests; afternoons are child-led, typically involving free play, wilderness play, and weekly clubs. The school is self-governing through a weekly consensus-based school meeting attended by both students and staff.
Parents are required to volunteer a minimum of one half-day per week, contributing as teachers, supporting play, or assisting with the school's day-to-day operation.
The school's six values are:
- Connectedness
- Compassion
- Discovery
- Play
- Self-management
- Resilience
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Timatanga Community 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 may be requested".
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 Timatanga Community 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 Timatanga Community School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 25 students (96.2%)
- Asian — 3 students (11.5%)
- Pacific — 1 students (3.8%)
- Māori — 6 students (23.1%)
- MELAA — 1 students (3.8%)
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.
-
Hobsonville Point Secondary School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 3.8 km
-
Albany Senior High School Secondary · Years 11–15 · 10.6 km
-
The Busy Group New Zealand Limited Secondary · Years 9–15 · 14.9 km
Location
- Street address9 Mamari Road
- SuburbWhenuapai
- CityWaitakere
- Local authorityUpper Harbour Local Board Area
Official contact details
- ContactAllison Butcher
- Phone+64 9 416 6000
- Emailallison.butcher@timatanga.school.nz
- Websitetimatanga.school.nz/
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Timatanga Community School, regardless of year level.
-
Westbridge Residential School Specialist School · 3.4 km
-
Hare Krishna School Composite · Years 1–15 · 3.8 km
-
Hobsonville Point Secondary School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 3.8 km
-
Hobsonville Point Primary School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 4.5 km
-
Summerland Primary Contributing · Years 1–6 · 8.5 km
Explore schools in Waitakere
Browse Waitakere schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Timatanga Community 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 Timatanga Community 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 | — | 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) | Timatanga Community School's official website | Current | 4 October 2026 |