Last updated October 2026
Te Paina School is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 15 Glass Road, Mercer. It opened in 1876 and had 62 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. Its site describes daily te reo Māori learning in every classroom, weekly tikanga lessons and student performances of waiata, karakia and mau rākau, with growing ties to the school’s mana whenua and local marae.
Students take part in swimming, cross country and athletics with other schools in the area, Year 7 and 8 students travel by bus to Maramarua School every second week for technology, and the home page mentions a before and after school care programme.
At a glance
- Principal
- Haley Christopher (Acting)
- Address
- 15 Glass Road, Mercer
- Phone
- 09 232 6817
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 62 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 September 2025. ERO found good quality teaching that is lifting progress in reading, writing and maths, with a large majority of learners at or above the expected curriculum level in maths and a small majority in reading and writing, and results becoming more equitable across groups.
The school does well at including students and supporting their engagement and wellbeing, reports usefully to parents, and draws on strong leadership, committed staff and a trusting culture built on its MANA values, with te ao Māori part of every aspect of school life.
Attendance is a concern, though: less than half of learners attend regularly, behind the government’s target, although attendance is improving and chronic absence is falling.
The key priorities are to broaden the school’s integrated curriculum in line with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, with a focus on reading and writing, to build a habit of regular, systematic evaluation, and to work with whānau to lift attendance.
Read the ERO reports for Te Paina School
Enrolling
The school has no enrolment scheme, so children from any area can enrol. Families complete the school’s enrolment form, which can be downloaded from its Enrolment and Uniform page or collected from the office. Preschool visits can be arranged through the office.
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 Mercer near Pukekohe
Te Paina School is in Mercer near Pukekohe. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Questions parents ask
Is Te Paina 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?
62 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?
513. 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.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
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).