Karapiro School

Kia ora.

It is my pleasure to welcome you and your family to Karāpiro School.

Our school provides a caring, supportive and holistic learning environment in which a well-balanced programme of academic, cultural, arts and sporting opportunities are delivered by a team of skilled and dedicated staff. Our staff work hard to build relationships with our students by taking the time to get to know them and understanding their individual needs and abilities. Our staff strive to engage our students in fun, stimulating and relevant learning activities to improve their learning, progress and achievement. Karāpiro School staff encourage our students to be independent students who can manage themselves confidently and articulate their next learning steps.

Karāpiro School enjoys a strong sense of community. There is a positive relationship shared between our community and our school with the activities of the school well anticipated and supported, for example:  school productions, dance performances, sailing on Lake Karāpiro, prize giving, book week, cultural celebrations, community working bees, senior surf and ski camps, school disco and dance, and a wide range of EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) activities and opportunities throughout the school year. 

Our school is well supported by actively involved parents who support the school staff to run a wide range of sports teams each year. We also offer an After School Care programme for parents. Eligible students may qualify for the school bus run by Cambridge Travel Lines and the Ministry of Education. Our school is set on attractive, well maintained grounds featuring our multi-purpose room (including our library and music room, playgroup group room and assembly hall), administration block, resource rooms and wireless ICT infrastructure. The school has a solar heated swimming pool, extensive covered decking, sports field, adventure playgrounds and access to the nearby community hall. In 2019 our fundraising team added new turf to our netball/hockey courts and we worked with NZTA to achieve a brand new drop-off zone and carpark for parents at the rear of the school. The Ministry of Education ‘Kiwisport’ funding goes towards the cost of our school swimming programme. The school vegetable gardens and nursery enable our students to participate in sustainable environmental initiatives such as the Trees for Survival programme and Enviroschools. Our recent addition of a turtle, ducks and chickens is part of our move towards providing more opportunities for our students to learn about nature and nurture through caring for animals. We have a Playgroup available that forms part of our ‘Transition to School’ programme.

Karāpiro School works together with our local schools to improve achievement outcomes for students across the community. Karāpiro School is a member of Cambridge Rural Schools and we meet for sports events with our local rural schools throughout the year. Karāpiro School is a member of the Asian Language Learning in Schools group known as Cambridge Fusion. 

Please accept our invitation to visit our school and see for yourself what makes our school a special place to learn and grow, together.


Nga mihi
Tina-Maree Thatcher
Karāpiro School Principal