Our Story

Mangatawhiri is a farming district located 10km south of the Bombay Hills sitting in the North Waikato district. One meaning of the name, Mangatawhiri means 'the stream where the tawhiri tree grows.'

The nearest town to Mangatawhiri is Pukekohe, where many of the residents go to shop and work.  There are also a large amount of people who commute to Auckland City for work, having chosen to experience country living.  Several of the farms in Mangatawhiri have been cut into smaller blocks where houses have been built for lifestyle living.​

In 1878 (146 years ago) the first ‘school’ was opened with a tutor and was held in the Lyons’ homestead on Lyons Road. The school was moved to its present site on McKenzie Road in 1925. The building was taken across the river by a traction engine, which was no easy feat!  A new school on the existing site was built in 1962 with subsequent additions in the 1970s and 1980s. 

At the beginning of 2017, 2 new classrooms were added.  2019 was a busy year for property development with a total replacement of the ancient sewage system and the building of a shed to house the school van, caretakers shed, PE and storage.       

In mid 2020 another 2 classrooms were added which now makes us a cluster of 9 classrooms. 

We are currently in the middle of the up-grade to our office and staffroom block.

Our small rural school is a strong focal point for the community today, built on strong family connections as well as our three school values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience.

We call this The Mangatawhiri Way.