Last updated October 2026
Te Kura o Waitahanui is a state, co-educational kura for Years 1 to 13 at 107 State Highway 1, Waitahanui, Taupo, where students learn in te reo Māori. It opened in 1905 and had 102 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any whānau can apply. Its website describes it as a Kura ā Iwi of Ngāti Tūtemohuta that teaches at Level 1 immersion, with a curriculum grounded in the kōrero of Ngāti Tūtemohuta. It also lists a transition programme for five-year-olds coming from the local kōhanga reo, Duffy Books in Homes, and a kai programme offering lunch, breakfast, fruit and milk.
At a glance
- Principal
- Te Arohanui Wall-McMahon
- Address
- 107 State Highway 1, Waitahanui, Taupo
- Phone
- 07 378 4511
Home zone
No home zone: any student can apply to enrol. If more students apply than there are places, the school decides how places are offered.
Who goes here
Share of the 102 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the kura is a report from December 2023, which looked at how well tamariki succeed through tikanga and te reo Māori. ERO found that the board, known as Te Poumarumaru, and whānau pursue a shared vision centred on Tūtemohutatanga, and that strategic planning reflects what the iwi wants for its mokopuna.
Tamariki learn te reo Māori, tikanga and kōrero tuku iho on the marae, at the kura and out in the taiao, and they take part in pōwhiri and whakamoemiti and share their pepeha with confidence. Kaiako are strong models of the reo and keep working on their own fluency, and ERO described relationships across the kura as caring and respectful.
ERO’s next steps are to speed up progress in literacy and numeracy, strengthen assessment so kaiako can follow each child’s progress more closely, and put a formal framework in place for assessing spoken te reo.
The kura is working with Ngā Kura ā Iwi to set up wharekura, and ERO said the systems for that are still being built and need to give tamariki a consistent path from primary into secondary.
Whānau raised the fencing beside State Highway 1 as a safety worry, and ERO asked the board to keep pressing the Ministry of Education on it.
Read the ERO reports for Te Kura o Waitahanui
Enrolling
Te Kura o Waitahanui has no home zone. Its website says the kura welcomes any whānau committed to its kaupapa, and that its enrolment process is shaped around the descendants of Pākira.
Whānau are asked to commit to three kawa: living as Ngāti Tūtemohuta, te reo Māori as a first language along with its tikanga, and whakapapa as uri o Pākira. Beginning speakers are welcome, provided whānau help their tamariki grow in the reo.
Whānau start with an online interest-to-enrol form. An enrolment group reviews it and meets the whānau to talk about commitment, marae links and language before confirming a place. New tamariki are welcomed with a whakatau, and whānau sign a kawenata setting out their commitment.
Schools nearby
In Waitahanui
Te Kura o Waitahanui is in Waitahanui. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Waitahanui guide →Questions parents ask
Is Te Kura o Waitahanui zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 13.
How many students go there?
102 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
No. It is in the donation scheme, so it only asks for donations for school camps.
What is its Equity Index?
527. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 22 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0).