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Our 128 year History
"The Ahuroa School As I Knew It" (1936 to 1943) By Bruce Jenkins
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“Ahuroa School enrolled its first pupils in 1888, on a site well removed from the present one. It was situated on what is now known as Hawkens Road, although at the time that road didn’t exist. In 1930, a desire by the local settlers to have the school sited on the main road now established along the valley floor, resulted in a new school being built on the present site. The new site placed it in reasonable proximity to the small district centre based on the railway station, post office and general store (see Our Community), with the community hall adjacent to the new school.
The ‘historic’ building, now used as the staffroom, was, in fact, a redundant school building moved down from the Kaipara Hills to provide a second classroom when the Ahuroa roll exceeded forty, the trigger at that time to warrant a second teacher, about 1939-40. The main classroom was later moved some metres to the south and incorporated into the present classroom complex when it was built about 1965-66. The school house would have been built about 1946-7.
The original school, now redundant, was later moved and is still there today, on the hillside overlooking the eastern junction of the Komokoriki Hill and West Coast roads. Albeit no doubt now much modified it must, at least in part, be one of the oldest buildings in the district to have been continuously occupied.”
"Swimming At Ahuroa School" (1938 to1944) By Bruce Jenkins
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“The school site was in my time virtually all hillside with little by way of flat playing area and no scope for team or organised games. It was against this background of a paucity of playground facilities that swimming was to establish as the only organised activity and main sporting achievement of most of the pupils attending the school at that time. It began with an illicit swim by Roy Parker and me one very sultry summer afternoon in the creek across the road, while waiting for the bus. Unfortunately for Roy and me, but not, as it turned out, for the school, one of the pupils told his father who reported our misdemeanor to our teacher. Both of us were strapped for it next morning. I was never sure whether we were strapped for swimming or for stripping off because he then announced that those who brought their togs would be allowed to go swimming during the lunch hour. Thus was born the one sporting activity for which we had an adequate facility – the creek.”
Our 10 year History
In the last ten years, Ahuroa School has undergone some huge property changes.
In 2009, thanks to grants from the RDC, NZCT and The Lion Foundation, our redundant swimming pool was fully refurbished.
In 2011, Ministry of Education SPG funding allowed for an upgraded administration block, classroom relocation, a new staffroom and a new sports court. A grant from the NZCT helped towards the cost of the astroturf.
Also during 2011, we received funding to build a new classroom. This was completed in January 2012. Our second new classroom was completed in April 2013.
Our new adventure playground - was completed just in time for the new 2014 school year. Many thanks to NZCT, The Lion Foundation, Oxford Sports Trust, ASB Community Trust and Pub Charities for their generous support. In 2015, we erected two lovely new shade sails over our playground with thanks to Pub Charity and our fantastic PTFA.
In 2015 we converted Room 3 into a purpose fitted technology room. This very cool creative space, with full kitchen facilities, has allowed students the room and tools to expand their hard tech skills - including robotics, food tech, wood and metal tech, fabric tech and art.
Our recent building projects included creating a unique outdoor learning space amongst native trees, upgrading Room 1, and completing the tiered seating around our astroturf sports court.