Last updated October 2026
Paparimu School is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 3 Matheson Road, Paparimu, Papakura. It opened in 1899 and had 38 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. The school’s site describes small classes, a heated swimming pool, an astroturf and use of the community hall and tennis courts next door, along with the Trees for Survival native planting programme and Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L).
Students go on day trips and overnight camps, the oldest students can join overnight hikes and a week-long sports camp, and a free school bus runs for children who live 3.2 km or more from the school.
At a glance
- Principal
- Nick Epsom
- Address
- 3 Matheson Road, Paparimu, Papakura
- Phone
- 09 292 5861
Home zone
No home zone: any student can apply to enrol. If more students apply than there are places, the school decides how places are offered.
Who goes here
Share of the 38 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Report from May 2025. ERO found success and progress increasing, high quality teaching, a broad curriculum that works well across multi-level classes, and a structured approach to literacy and mathematics.
Most students have a strong sense of belonging, and the school is exceeding the Government’s attendance target. A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level in reading and in mathematics, and a small majority do so in writing, where results are not yet equitable for all groups.
The agreed next steps are to speed up progress in reading, writing and mathematics for students at risk of falling behind, to strengthen teaching to lift writing, especially for boys, and to make better use of progress data in the school’s own evaluation.
Read the ERO reports for Paparimu School
Enrolling
Paparimu School does not have an enrolment scheme, so any student can apply to enrol. The school asks families to get in touch first, then arranges a visit to meet the principal and staff and see the school. A pre-enrolment form is linked from the enrolment page, along with a transition booklet for the junior class.
Schools nearby
Where students go next
Based on home zones around the school’s own address. Families can apply to any school, and your own address decides which zones you are in.
In Hūnua
Paparimu School is in Hūnua. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Hūnua guide →Questions parents ask
Is Paparimu School zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
38 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
No. It is in the donation scheme, so it only asks for donations for school camps.
What is its Equity Index?
454. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 26 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0).