Who are we?

Behind our school stands an old pa site ‘Karanga e Tui’, below Tui Kairangi (Primrose Hill).

In 1875 it is believed that Rapata Te Arako (Arakai) gifted the land that Paeroa Central School sits on, to the town of Paeroa, and here the first school house was built. From one small wooden building it grew to a large school which included the Paeroa District High School.

In 1910 there was a fire and the whole school burnt down except for one building (currently named Room 1). In 1920 the roll was 473. In 1958 the College separated off to a new site and Paeroa Central continued as a full primary school, Years 1-8. The school was rebuilt in 1976-1977 and its historical brick buildings were demolished.

Beginning of a Rūmaki Akomanga:

1997 saw the first Rūmaki Te Reo class open in the school - Te Ara Hou te Reo. However, it was short lived and closed in 1998. In July 2015 a second Rūmaki class opened and in February 2016 it grew to a Senior/ Tuakana and Junior/ Teina Rūmaki class, (Level 1). In 2018, a Rūmaki Waenga class for those students transitioning in to the medium of te reo Māori was eventually established and Paeroa Central School became a Dual Medium School with three English medium classes and three Māori medium classes.

The school was now also known as Te Kura Tuatahi o Paeroa. Unfortunately, again in the first term of 2018 we had to reduce our classes in both English and Māori medium as roll numbers declined. The learning pathway for our Māori medium school leavers could not be sustained by the local college and a kura kaupapa located near Morrinsville, attracted our Māori Medium students.

In 2021 we have firmly established two Rūmaki classes and 2 Auraki classes. We are a Decile 1 school with a growing role of 89 students. 98% of our students are of Māori descent and 2% are of Pākehā descent. We are an historical school with an exciting future, exploring dual medium education together.