Key facts
- School number3571
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 April 1920
About Waimairi School
Waimairi School is a primary school located at 1 Tillman Avenue, Strowan, Christchurch 8052. It is a state school operating in English medium.
The school recognises Ngāi Tahu as Mana Whenua and consults with the Ngāi Tūāhuriri Education Committee as part of its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Kete o Aoraki.
The school's stated values, which are displayed physically throughout the school building, are:
- Vibrant learning centred culture
- Innovation for continual improvement
- Belonging through authentic partnerships
- Evaluation for impact
These values are framed around the concept of Pūmanawatanga — a te reo Māori term the school uses to describe the overall tone, pulse, and morale of the school community. The school draws on Macfarlane's Educultural Wheel as a framework for inclusive practice, with whanaungatanga (relationship-building and community connection) as a central element.
Two structural features of the school's approach are looping and a River System, described as ways of building partnerships between whānau, teachers, and learners. The school also has a long-term working relationship with New Zealand educator Pam Hook, who works with staff on applying SOLO Taxonomy to deepen learning outcomes.
Enrolment
Enrolment scheme on recordWaimairi School has an enrolment scheme (a home zone) on record. Living inside it guarantees a place; living outside it does not, though out-of-zone applications may still be considered.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations may be requested".
With an Equity Index of 418, Waimairi School is below the 432 threshold newly required to opt into the donations scheme, though a school already receiving this funding from an earlier year may continue to do so. Outside the scheme, a school can still ask families for donations, but cannot compel or enforce payment.
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 Waimairi 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 Waimairi School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 254 students (77%)
- Asian — 55 students (16.7%)
- Pacific — 13 students (3.9%)
- Māori — 53 students (16.1%)
- MELAA — 13 students (3.9%)
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.
-
Catholic Cathedral College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 5 km
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Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 6 km
-
Te Aratai College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 6.3 km
-
Marian College Secondary · Years 9–15 · 2.2 km
-
Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College Secondary · Years 9–15 · 3.9 km
-
Riccarton High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 4.7 km
Location
- Street address1 Tillman Avenue
- CityChristchurch
- Local authorityChristchurch City
Official contact details
- ContactChris Panther
- Phone+64 3 352 9208
- Emailadmin@waimairi.school.nz
- Websitewww.waimairi.school.nz/
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Waimairi School, regardless of year level.
-
Paparoa Street School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1.3 km
-
St Albans Catholic School (Christchurch) Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1.9 km
-
Selwyn House School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 2 km
-
Papanui Primary School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 2.1 km
-
Marian College Secondary · Years 9–15 · 2.2 km
Explore schools in Christchurch
Browse Christchurch schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Waimairi 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 Waimairi 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) | Waimairi School's official website | Current | 16 October 2026 |