Last updated October 2026
Hiruharama School is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 45 Hiruharama Road, Waitakaro, Ruatoria. It opened in 1895 and had 108 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes all of Waipiro Bay, and parts of Ruatoria; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school’s site says the kura is committed to total immersion learning, bilingualism and Hiruharamatanga, its own local identity, and that most of its students travel by bus from Ruatoria. It stands on land gifted for a school by the tipuna Matutaera Nihoniho, and its hall is named after him.
At a glance
- Principal
- Keriana Tawhai
- Address
- 45 Hiruharama Road, Waitakaro, Ruatoria
- Phone
- 06 864 8701
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Waipiro Bay Gisborne.
Parts of Ruatoria: check your street.
Zone boundaries are set by the school’s enrolment scheme and can change. Confirm your address with the school before you rely on it.
Who goes here
Share of the 108 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 school is a Ngā Kitenga Arotake Report from December 2025, published in te reo Māori and English by ERO’s Māori review services.
ERO noted that the kura has joined Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa and aims to become fully Māori immersion, with bilingual classes and a rumaki unit. It found that uri (students) progress well and succeed as described in the kura graduate profile, Te Aho Pūkenga, with the kura values lived each day through karakia, mihimihi, pepeha and support for hapū and iwi kaupapa at local marae.
A large majority of uri were at or above kura expectations in pāngarau, pānui and tuhituhi, uri who need extra help are well catered for, leaders share responsibility for uri success, and an experienced board serves the community well.
ERO’s priorities are for the kura to keep developing its new local curriculum framework, backed by a clear action plan, and to review how well staff and the board understand their duties under the Children’s Act 2014.
Staff had already identified, and ERO agreed, that the child protection policy needs an early review and update so every staff member knows its procedures and expectations.
Read the ERO reports for Hiruharama School
Enrolling
Students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol. Out-of-zone places are offered under the school’s enrolment scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places. The school’s website does not have an enrolment page, so families should contact the kura directly to enrol.
Schools nearby
In Waipiro Bay Gisborne
Hiruharama School is in Waipiro Bay Gisborne. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Waipiro Bay Gisborne guide →Questions parents ask
Is Hiruharama School zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Waipiro Bay Gisborne and parts of Ruatoria.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
108 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?
543. 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, 29 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). Home zone: Ministry of Education enrolment zones (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).