Tisbury School, Invercargill

Key facts

About Tisbury School

Tisbury School is a rural primary school located in Tisbury, Southland. It operates as a U3 school with four multi-level classrooms and a new entrant classroom, led by a Principal and Deputy Principal alongside four Scale A Teachers, three Teacher Aides, and an administrator.

The school's five classrooms are named after local waterways and geographic features, reflecting a localised curriculum approach:

• Rūma Kingswell and Rūma Waituna — Years 4/5/6
• Rūma Awarua and Rūma Oreti — Years 1/2/3
• Rūma Mataura — New Entrant Years 0/1

Tisbury School is a member of the Invercargill Kahui Ako, a community of schools comprising one secondary and three primary schools, with a shared focus on all students reaching their potential while being secure in their identities, languages, and cultures.

The school was first opened on 27 January 1891. A fire destroyed the original buildings in 1945, after which the current classroom block was constructed. Subsequent additions include a multi-purpose room and library added in 2004, a second multi-purpose room in 2011, a new administration area in 2017, and a toilet block and LSC space opened in 2022. A compulsory uniform was introduced in 2015, and the school adopted the Positive Behaviour For Learning (PB4L) programme in 2016.

Enrolment

Tisbury School operates under an enrolment scheme established at the request of the Ministry of Education to manage capacity. Enrolment priority is given to students who live within the school's defined home zone.

The home zone has been redrawn to align with land parcels. Two proposed extensions to the existing zone are:

• McMillan Street from Boxall Street to Tramway Road, then the south side of Tramway Road to Rockdale Road
• North along Rockdale Road to Mason Road, east along Mason Road to Kennington-Waimatua Road, south along Kennington-Waimatua Road to the end of Orr Road, including Blondell Road between Orr Road and Nally Road

Out-of-zone places, if any, are determined by the Board of Trustees after the yearly Dairy day and advertised in The Southland Express for the following 12-month period. Enquiries can be directed to office@tisbury.school.nz or 03 216 8213.

New entrants are admitted on two set entry dates per term as determined by the Ministry of Education. Children must be aged 5 before the relevant start date, meaning some may wait up to seven weeks to begin. Children transferring from another school into the zone are enrolled immediately without waiting for a term date. Under 2017 legislation, once a five-year-old is enrolled they must attend full time unless a Ministry-approved transition plan is in place. Attendance is not compulsory until age 6.

Co-curricular Activities and Sports

Tisbury School participates in the following Southern Zone sports events as part of its curriculum, at no cost to students:

• Athletics – open to students aged 7–11 years (age as of 31 December)
• Swimming Champions – Years 4, 5 and 6; students must meet set criteria
• Cross Country – open to all students aged 5–11 years (age as of 31 December)
• Moffett Cup (Rugby and Netball) – Years 3, 4, 5 and 6
• Football Tournament – Years 1–6; held on a year-about basis
• Kī-o-Rahi – Years 5 and 6

Students may also join external sporting codes outside of school. These are run on a user-pays basis, with fees required before a student can participate.