Key facts
- School number3062
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1861
About Wairau Valley School (Blenheim)
Wairau Valley School is a full-primary, rural school located on State Highway 63, approximately 40 kilometres from Blenheim. It is classified as a U1 school with a roll of 35 students as of 2026.
The school sits in the Wairau Valley, a farming area where land use has diversified over time to include lifestyle blocks and vineyards. The surrounding landscape includes the Wairau River, the Mount Richmond Range to the north, and the Nelson Lakes to the west. The local community is centred on a small village with a church, tavern, community hall, and golf course — facilities the school makes use of alongside its own grounds, which include a playing field, tennis court, adventure and junior playgrounds, a bike pump track, native gardens, a vegetable garden, and a swimming pool.
The school holds four stated values — Love of Learning, Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience — each framed around specific behaviours and dispositions rather than broad aspirational statements.
Wairau Valley School is a participant in the Enviroschools programme and runs a Kids Edible Gardens Programme. All students have access to digital devices to support learning. A school fundraising committee supports events and activities, and transition visits are offered to four-year-olds approximately one term before they begin school.
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Wairau Valley School (Blenheim) 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".
With an Equity Index of 461, Wairau Valley School (Blenheim) is in the range eligible to opt into the Ministry's donations scheme — receiving additional government funding per student in exchange for not seeking donations (except for overnight camps).
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 Wairau Valley School (Blenheim) 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 Wairau Valley School (Blenheim)'s own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 28 students (90.3%)
- Pacific — 2 students (6.5%)
- Māori — 7 students (22.6%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street address30 Morse Street
- SuburbWairau Valley
- CityBlenheim
- Local authorityMarlborough District
Official contact details
- ContactAdam Alexander
- Phone+64 3 572 2715
- Emailoffice@wairauvalley.school.nz
- Websitewww.wairauvalley.school.nz/
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Wairau Valley School (Blenheim), regardless of year level.
-
Renwick School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 26 km
-
Fairhall School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 30.9 km
-
Rapaura School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 32.7 km
-
Springlands School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 34.3 km
-
Richmond View School Composite · Years 1–15 · 34.9 km
Explore schools in Blenheim
Browse Blenheim schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Co-curricular Activities and Sport
The following sports are listed as activities at Wairau Valley School:
- Rippa Rugby
- Cross Country
- Netball
- Bikes
- Golf (after school on Tuesdays)
- Swimming
- Athletics
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Wairau Valley School (Blenheim)'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 Wairau Valley School (Blenheim)'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) | Wairau Valley School (Blenheim)'s official website | Current | 29 September 2026 |