Principal Stephen Walters says the school's Labour Weekend celebrations will provide a chance to reflect on the school's growth from 16 pupils in 1979 to a Year 0 to 13 school of 470 pupils today.
''The school was started by the Gateway New Life Church as a private Christian primary school because the founders wanted to educate their own children.
''Those 16 pioneers weathered a winter at Leigh Camp (at Loburn), before the founders purchased the current site. It was a swampy, overgrown paddock.''
He says the school was built first, before the church, and has been added to over the years.
The school later became a state-integrated Christian school and was extended to Year 13 in 1994.
''We provide a Christian education for families that want it. It's very important that as a parent you have the choice between a good quality state school in your local area, an integrated school, and private schools,'' Mr Walters says.
''I've always been a great believer in working with the community. We are part of the area schools network in Canterbury and also with primary schools that are associated with them, and we have relationships with all the schools in North Canterbury as well.''
He says the school runs six buses each day, picking up pupils from as far afield as Oxford and Amberley. It has strong relationships with local churches, across a variety of denominations.
The 40th jubilee celebrations will begin with the annual Founders' Day Assembly at 2pm on Friday, October 25, where one of the original founding trustees will be attending.
''We do this every year to honour those who have sacrificed a lot to get this school to where we are today.''
There will be a church service the next day at 9.30am, followed by an opportunity for visitors to have a look around the school, ''to reminisce and to reconnect''.
''It's lovely to be part of that and to be having people from all different stages of the school to come and connect.''
Registration is still open, but people are urged to get in quickly via the Rangiora New Life School page on Facebook or online at rnls.school.nz/jubilee.
