Key facts
- School number3859
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established17 November 1858
About Wakari School
Wakari School is a contributing primary school in the hill suburbs of Dunedin, catering for children in Years 1–6 (ages 5–11). The school has a roll of approximately 300 pupils, which grows across the year as new entrants enrol. The school has been part of its community since 1858.
The school is organised into three syndicates that operate as Learning Hubs. It places emphasis on parental and whānau involvement, which it describes as essential to activities such as school camps, trips, swimming, and school fairs.
Wakari School's stated values are honesty, manners, respect, cooperation, and kindness.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 440, Wakari School 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 Wakari 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 Wakari School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 260 students (82.8%)
- Asian — 25 students (8%)
- Pacific — 15 students (4.8%)
- Māori — 43 students (13.7%)
- MELAA — 17 students (5.4%)
- Other — 11 students (3.5%)
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.
-
Balmacewen Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 841 m
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John McGlashan College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1.4 km
-
St Hildas Collegiate Secondary · Years 7–15 · 2.2 km
-
Otago Boys' High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 2 km
-
Otago Girls' High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 2.6 km
-
Logan Park High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 3.8 km
Location
- Street address150 Helensburgh Road
- SuburbWakari
- CityDunedin
- Local authorityDunedin City
Official contact details
- ContactStacey Gribben
- Phone+64 3 476 3140
- Emailprincipal@wakari.school.nz
- Websitewww.wakari.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Wakari School, regardless of year level.
-
Balmacewen Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 841 m
-
Kaikorai School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1.3 km
-
Columba College Composite · Years 1–15 · 1.4 km
-
John McGlashan College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1.4 km
-
Otago Boys' High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 2 km
Explore schools in Dunedin
Browse Dunedin schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
Wakari School operates under an enrolment scheme. Students living within the home zone are entitled to enrol. Out-of-zone applicants are considered subject to available places, with applications ranked in the following order of priority:
- Siblings of current students
- Siblings of former students
- Children of former students
- Children of a board employee or board member
- All other applicants
Where more out-of-zone applicants qualify within a priority group than there are places available, selection is made by ballot. The school does not run a special programme approved by the Secretary for Education, so the first statutory priority category does not apply. Wakari School no longer accepts international students.
Required documents
Enrolment is completed online. The following documents must be uploaded:
- Birth certificate or passport
- Proof of address (utility bill)
- Any parenting or custody orders
New entrant enrolments additionally require a copy of the child's birth certificate submitted with the enrolment forms.
Enrolment zone
The home zone boundary begins at the intersection of Taieri Road and Farley Street and follows a defined route through surrounding streets. Streets within the zone include Wakari Road, Balmacewen Road, Helensburgh Road, Gilkison Street, Shetland Street, Polwarth Road, and a number of connecting streets and places.
Little Learners
Children aged 4½ and over who are considering enrolment can attend a pre-entry visit programme called Little Learners, held every second Thursday in Room 3 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.
Co-curricular Activities
The following named group is described on the school's website:
- Tikanga Wakari — a cultural and performing arts group open to all students from New Entrant to Year 6. The group meets weekly in the school hall and performs at the Otago Maori and Pacific Island Festival in Term 3.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Wakari 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 Wakari 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) | Wakari School's official website | Current | 23 October 2026 |