Key facts
- School number439
- School typeComposite · Years 1–15
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established22 May 1978
About Totara College of Accelerated Learning
Totara College of Accelerated Learning is a state integrated, Year 1–13 school located in Dannevirke. As a state integrated school, it follows the New Zealand national curriculum, with teachers paid by the government and resourcing provided by the Ministry of Education. Its distinguishing feature is a Christian special character, meaning Christian values and principles are applied across all aspects of school life.
The school has operated in Dannevirke for approximately 40 years. Its stated values are kindness, respect, integrity, and diligence, each grounded in specific biblical references.
The school uses a house group system with four groups — Judah, Levites, Abraham, and Zebulun — named after figures and groups from the Old Testament. Students are assigned to a house group upon enrolment and compete across the year for a House shield awarded at end-of-year prizegiving.
The school acknowledges that not all enrolled families are practising Christians, but notes that its Christian character is central to its identity and approach.
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Totara College of Accelerated Learning 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 Totara College of Accelerated Learning 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 Totara College of Accelerated Learning's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 62 students (78.5%)
- Asian — 4 students (5.1%)
- Pacific — 6 students (7.6%)
- Māori — 17 students (21.5%)
- MELAA — 6 students (7.6%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street address3 Ruahine Street
- CityDannevirke
- Local authorityTararua District
Official contact details
- ContactPeter Ferrar
- Phone+64 6 374 6165
- Emailoffice@totaracollege.school.nz
- Websitewww.totaracollege.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Totara College of Accelerated Learning, regardless of year level.
-
Whakarongo School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 39.9 km
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Winchester School (P North) Contributing · Years 1–6 · 44 km
-
Carncot Independent School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 45.2 km
-
Palmerston North Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 46.6 km
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Palmerston North Adventist Christian School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 46.8 km
Explore schools in Dannevirke
Browse Dannevirke schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Curriculum
Totara College of Accelerated Learning is a Year 1–13 state integrated school that follows the New Zealand national curriculum. A Christian special character is embedded throughout, with each school day beginning with approximately 30 minutes of special character teaching — including prayer, Bible study, and character-focused discussion. The school uses the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum alongside standard New Zealand curricula, allowing students to work through content at their own pace in a Christian context.
Primary (Year 1–6)
Morning sessions focus on literacy and mathematics. The school's literacy programme follows the Best Start Approach to Literacy as developed by Canterbury University. Afternoon programmes are organised around a term theme and linked to one of four term values: integrity, diligence, kindness, and respect. Primary students also have periodic access to the school's woodwork room and science laboratory. Class sizes are small and taught by registered teachers.
Secondary (Year 7–13)
Secondary students are taught in small classes across a range of named subjects:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science (Chemistry, Biology, Physics)
- Social Studies
- Wood Work
- Engineering
- Food Technology
- Rural Studies
- French
- Careers
- History
- First Responders (police, ambulance, fire)
- The Arts (music, drama, dance, fine art)
- Physical Education
- Sport
Additional learning is available through Te Kura (the New Zealand correspondence school), ACE materials, and digital learning. Senior students can also enrol in subjects through UCOL and other Palmerston North tertiary providers, with options including construction and building, forklift driving, Microbiology and Genetics, beauty therapy, computing, gaming, design, nursing bridging courses, and veterinary nursing.
At secondary level, students can work towards NCEA Levels 1–3 as well as Accelerated Christian Education certificates at Levels 1–3.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Totara College of Accelerated Learning'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 Totara College of Accelerated Learning'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) | Totara College of Accelerated Learning's official website | Current | 21 September 2026 |