Welcome

Kaimai is a long established, rural school situated on the main highway approximately twenty kilometres from the main centre of Tauranga. The school population draws from a wide socio-economic group which includes; farmers, orchardists, small lot holders whose main occupation is in the city, professionals, artisans.

There is a stable caring staff consisting of 6 teachers, this includes one Principal and five teachers. The school also employs three part time teacher aide to support students in the classroom. There is a full time secretary and a part time cleaner and groundsman.

The roll consists of approximately 110 children of NZ/European decent and 15% who identify themselves as Tangata Whenua. Most children travel to and from school by bus. The school is built on large grounds with a tennis court, swimming pool, covered sandpit, native area and a new skate park , numerous play areas suitable for different age groups, as well as a spacious library, music room and kitchen/tech room. Children also have access to community extra-curricular activities (music, sports, Cubs, Guides etc.). The Kaimai Settlers Committee provides a hall for the community and is available for the school to use, it also caters for community functions (Settlers Picnic, dances etc.).

At Kaimai School we use the play as an important part of our pedagogical approach. Play is very important for a child’s brain development, as research has shown that it helps develop the frontal cortex of the brain (the part also used in reading, writing and maths). Play also has shown to be the most effective way to develop executive functioning skills. This type of thinking develops flexible and abstract thinking, it also helps develop self-control.
Kaimai School is proud to be one of the first schools in New Zealand to offer all of their intermediate aged students their own laptop for classroom learning at no charge, with a further 35 Chromebooks for class use. We also have numerous iPads available for student as well. In addition to this, each classroom is equipped with 70” televisions and has access to wireless ultra-fast broadband.

There is ready access to a number of Health and Welfare agencies, such as educational advisors, the health nurse, a sight/vision tester, a speech therapist and special education professionals on request, such as RTLB and RTLit.

Principal
Andrea Colebourn