Kaingaroa Forest School

Kaingaroa Forest School is a co-educational full primary school in Kaingaroa Forest, within the Bay of Plenty Region, operating in the state sector, with 28 students on roll, and an Equity Index of 560. The school has been open since 1858.

With 28 students on roll, Kaingaroa Forest School is a very small school — larger than about 9% of New Zealand schools. Its rural setting typically means smaller class groups and a close-knit community feel.

The school's Equity Index is 560, which is well above the national average of 463. A higher Equity Index signals greater socio-economic need in the school's community — schools in this band receive more targeted government funding and support. The gap of 97 points is substantial enough to matter when comparing schools.

The largest group is Pasifika at 60%, with a meaningful European community at 40% — a mixed but clearly led roll.

On the isolation index the school scores 1.18 (high isolation) — this measures how far students travel and how accessible the school is, not how good it is.