Coromandel Area School

Coromandel Area School is situated in the coastal town of Coromandel and has served the educational needs of the local community since 1875. The town and peninsula were named after the British sailboat Coromandel, which came into the Coromandel Harbour in 1820. At one time, this was a major port serving the peninsula’s gold mining and kauri industries. Much of the image of Coromandel’s past has centred around those colonial days, while in fact its rich cultural history goes back much further. Coromandel Peninsula was landfall for the first Polynesian navigators reaching New Zealand just under a thousand years ago. Also known as Kapanga, Coromandel town and surrounds has to this day a strong continuation of Māori cultural heritage. Currently the town of Coromandel’s main industries are tourism and aquaculture. Coromandel Area School is a small school by many standards, yet offers opportunity for student learning in an attractive and well-resourced setting. The staff is dedicated to student success and all have worked hard to develop – together with students and whānau – a place where they are able to attain high standards in learning through on-site as well as distance learning opportunities. Our school offers a range of academic courses plus plenty of opportunities to be involved in sporting, cultural, leadership and extra-curricular events. We are proud of our students and of their achievements. Our dedicated staff work hard, and with a low student-teacher ratio this allows our students to become capable and resilient achievers with opportunity to reach the highest level of achievement. The whole school community, teaching as well as non-teaching staff, the Board of Trustees, the Parents in Partnership group and others we employ or use as volunteers, are all an important and integral part of the school’s journey with our students and their whanau towards a destination often far removed from Coromandel. It is rare to find such an amazing context for learning, and the balance between an awesome natural environment and a welcoming place to learn are the hallmarks of our school.