Last updated October 2026
Parkside School is a state, co-educational specialist school at 184 Wellington Street, Pukekohe. It opened in 1971 and had 177 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Parkside School’s website says it serves students aged five to twenty-one with profound, severe or moderate disability, at its Wellington Street campus and in satellite classes based at host schools around Franklin, with a provision for 18 to 21 year olds focused on work skills and adult life.
A therapy team works alongside teachers, there are music, kapa haka and Special Olympics programmes, and an outreach service supports ORS-funded students in their local schools.
At a glance
- Principal
- Carol Willard
- Address
- 184 Wellington Street, Pukekohe
- Phone
- 09-238 9689
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a Te Ara Huarau School Profile Report from May 2024, written as part of a national evaluation of day specialist schools.
ERO noted positive relationships and high expectations backed by a team of specialists and therapists working together, and a responsive, united leadership team with sound systems. Whānau and student voice shape planning for learning and wellbeing, staff help students communicate well, and practices across the school support calm, settled settings.
The school is managing roll growth along with the staffing and property demands that come with it. With students spread across a wide area, the school and ERO chose to evaluate how well communication works within and beyond the school. Its next steps are mapping its current communication pathways, evaluating how well they work, and continuing its action plan in this area.
Read the ERO reports for Parkside School
Enrolling
Enrolment at a specialist school such as Parkside is arranged through the Ministry of Education rather than by home zone. ERO notes that every student enrolled has high or very high needs funded through the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS).
Families who think Parkside may suit their child can contact the school, which has an information document for families on its website. Schools with ORS-funded students can also arrange support through Parkside’s Specialist Teacher Outreach Service.
Schools nearby
In Pukekohe Central
Parkside School is in Pukekohe Central. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Pukekohe Central guide →Questions parents ask
What years does it teach?
All ages.
How many students go there?
177 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?
493. 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).