Key facts
- School number4147
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityPrivate : Fully Registered
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingYes
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1907
About Waihi School
Waihi School is a co-educational Anglican preparatory school located in rural South Canterbury, New Zealand. It was founded on 5 September 1907 by Joseph R. Orford, who opened the school to three boys. The school operates from Year 5 to Year 8 and offers both day and boarding enrolment.
As an Anglican school, Christian values underpin daily life. A whole-school chapel service is held each Monday morning in the on-site Anglican church of St John the Evangelist. The school has a formal set of eight values — consideration and cooperation, kindness, love of learning, responsibility, honesty, respect, and manners — alongside its Latin motto, Tu Igitur Perfer Adversa ("Thou shall therefore endure hardship").
The school crest is a white Maltese cross on a dark blue background, derived from the crest of founder Joseph Orford's Shrewsbury School Rowing Club. Its eight points correspond to the eight beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount.
Boarding is provided through Pyne House. The school's rural setting supports an Outdoor Education programme that includes bushcraft, kayaking, tramping, and camps. Sports facilities on the grounds include a heated indoor swimming pool, cricket, football, and rugby fields, netball and tennis courts, and a mountain bike pump track.
The school publishes a bi-weekly newsletter and maintains an alumni network through the Waihi Association, which also administers scholarships for prospective students.
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Waihi School in the available Ministry of Education data. Check the current Ministry of Education information or contact the school for the latest enrolment arrangements.
Student ethnicity
The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Waihi School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 134 students (95.7%)
- Asian — 2 students (1.4%)
- Māori — 8 students (5.7%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street address611 Temuka-Orari Highway
- CityTemuka
- Local authorityTimaru District
Official contact details
- ContactGareth Wood
- Phone03-6878014
- Emailadmin@waihi.school.nz
- Websitewww.waihi.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Waihi School, regardless of year level.
-
Methven Primary School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 66.5 km
-
Amuri Area School Composite · Years 1–15 · 200.6 km
-
Amana Christian School Composite · Years 1–15 · 203.8 km
-
Salisbury School (Nelson) Specialist School · 351.8 km
-
Appleby School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 352.2 km
Explore schools in Temuka
Browse Temuka schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Fees
Waihi School charges the following annual fees, which include GST:
| Fee type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual Day Pupil – Tuition | $26,100 |
| Annual Boarder – Tuition & Boarding | $42,400 |
| Waihi School Foundation Voluntary Building Levy | $225 per term |
Additional charges, referred to as extras, are invoiced monthly and cover items such as sports costs, school camps, uniform, stationery, and other extra-curricular activities. These are not included in the tuition or boarding fees.
Fees are invoiced at the beginning of each term and must be paid by the 20th of that month. Payment by direct debit is compulsory unless an alternative arrangement has been approved by the Headmaster or Accountant. Overdue accounts may incur interest at 10% per annum, and a dishonoured direct debit payment attracts an administration fee of $50 (GST inclusive).
Sports and Co-curricular Activities
Waihi School offers the following named sports and activities:
- Rugby (winter)
- Hockey (winter)
- Netball (winter)
- Basketball (winter)
- Football (winter)
- Cricket (summer)
- Tennis (summer)
- Swimming (summer)
- Touch rugby (summer)
- Skiing
- Sailing
- Athletics
- Road cycling
- Karate
- Mountain biking
Grounds and Facilities
Waihi School is situated north of Winchester on State Highway 1 in South Canterbury, on 10 hectares of grounds. The following named facilities are described in the school's own sources:
- Heated indoor swimming pool
- Cricket, football and rugby fields
- Netball and tennis courts
- Outdoor climbing equipment
- Low ropes course
- Mountain bike pump track — described as purpose-built
- Dining room — described as large
- School hall
- Pyne House — described as the heart of the boarding school
- School chapel — used for weekly services
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Waihi 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 Waihi 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) | Waihi School's official website | Current | 16 September 2026 |