Last updated October 2026
Gisborne Central School is a state, co-educational primary school for Years 1 to 6 at 7 Central Street, Whataupoko, Gisborne. It opened in 1872 and had 379 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes all of Whataupoko, and parts of Inner Kaiti, Gisborne City Centre and Mangapapa; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school also goes by Te Kura O Waiteata, and runs a house competition of sporting, cultural and creative events linked to its PB4L programme, with houses named after navigators and their waka. Students take part in inter-school sport, and parent volunteers help coach after-school and weekend teams.
At a glance
- Principal
- Stuart Barclay
- Address
- 7 Central Street, Whataupoko, Gisborne
- Phone
- 06 867 5073
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Whataupoko Gisborne.
Parts of Inner Kaiti Gisborne, Gisborne City Centre and Mangapapa: 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 379 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 School Evaluation Report from January 2025. ERO found that students are engaged and make sustained progress: most are at or above expected levels in maths and a large majority are at expected levels in reading and writing.
The gap in writing for Māori students and boys is narrowing, helped by stronger structured literacy teaching backed by close tracking of each student. Learners are in an affirming, inclusive environment, and regular attendance is approaching the Ministry of Education target.
ERO’s agreed next steps are to keep improving regular attendance, embed evidence-based teaching and assessment with a continued focus on writing for boys and Māori learners, develop a curriculum overview that reflects recent curriculum changes, grow teachers as leaders, and engage with every group in the school community.
Read the ERO reports for Gisborne Central School
Enrolling
Students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol. The school may also offer out-of-zone places each year under its enrolment scheme, with a ballot if there are more applicants than places.
The school’s website has no enrolment page, so contact the school office for enrolment details.
Schools nearby
Where students go next
Based on home zones around the school’s own address. Families can apply to any school, and your own address decides which zones you are in.
In Whataupoko Gisborne
Gisborne Central School is in Whataupoko Gisborne. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Whataupoko Gisborne guide →Questions parents ask
Is Gisborne Central School zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Whataupoko Gisborne and parts of Inner Kaiti Gisborne, Gisborne City Centre and Mangapapa.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 6.
How many students go there?
379 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?
430. 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).