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A new classroom block is under construction at Hanley’s Farm’s fast-growing primary school.
Expected to be completed in time for term one next year, the two-storey building at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau will accommodate up to 300 kids, with 10 more classroom spaces and two spaces for food tech and hard tech classes.
It is going up next to an existing two-storey classroom block, to which it will be connected by a first-floor balcony.
Principal Tania McNamara says five of the upper-floor classrooms will be built off-site before being trucked to the school and lifted on to the rest of the structure, which is being built onsite.
The new building, which will “blend seamlessly” with the school’s existing buildings, is the second stage of the school’s master plan, McNamara says.
It will enable the school to accommodate its faster-than-expected roll growth — it opened in 2022 with space for 450 pupils, and surpassed that number last year.
The roll is now 558, and predicted to exceed 600 by the end of the year.
“We knew from the beginning that our school would grow quickly, so it’s great the Ministry of Education has recognised this and is building what’s going to be an amazing set of learning spaces.”
In the meantime, the school is accommodating seven classes in its admin block this year.
“We’re fortunate to have a proactive, flexible staff and a supportive community working together to make the most of our current spaces.”
The school’s board is already in discussions with the ministry about its third stage, which will ultimately take the school’s roll up to 1050.
Everyone at the school is “really proud to be the heart of our fast-growing community”, she says.
“We love the richness and diversity of our community, and love that we are a central gathering place for them, from the food trucks, to our school grounds being used out of school hours, to even being a place for the community to come together for meetings.”
The contract for the new building was awarded to Southbase, which also built the school’s first stage.
