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Welcome to Hedgehope School

Hedgehope School is a full rural primary school with a passion to inspire students from Years 1-8. We are located in Central Southland on the Winton-Hedgehope Highway, a 20-minute drive from Mataura, Winton or Invercargill. Our beautiful rural setting is located not far from the Community Hall, Rural Fire Brigade and Golf Course. At Hedgehope School, learning is grounded in opportunity, nature and community, guided by our core REACH values — Respect, Endurance, Adventure, Compassion and Happiness. These values shape who we are, how we learn, and how we support one another every day.

We are proud of our outstanding school grounds, which provide rich opportunities for exploration and growth. Our environment includes an orchard, chickens, a thriving plant nursery, hot house, tennis courts, a huge school field, a mountain bike track, a giant sandpit, a newly refurbished playground, workshop and our much-loved Treemendous adventure playground. These spaces are living classrooms where students show Adventure in their learning, Endurance in challenges, and Happiness through active, engaged play.

Inside the classroom, learning is future-focused and well supported. Our senior students benefit from 1-to-1 Apple MacBooks, encouraging creativity, collaboration and independence. Our highly experienced staff lead learning with Respect and Compassion, ensuring every child is known, valued and supported to succeed.

Hedgehope School is strengthened by a caring and connected community. Our active PTA fundraises to support student needs and enrich learning opportunities, while our passionate Board of Trustees provides strong governance and strategic direction, ensuring all students are supported to REACH their full potential.

We are proud to be a top-tier Enviroschool, holding Green-Gold status — the highest level. Through our Forest School programme on Channel Road, students develop Respect and Compassion for the environment by predator trapping and environmental restoration, and they bring this real-world learning back into the classroom.

At Hedgehope School, children are encouraged to REACH for greatness — growing as confident, capable learners in a school where values, nature and community come together.

Throughout the year, the students excel in athletics, swimming, touch rugby, cross country, netball, speech competitions and thrive at school camps, pet day, ski trips, winter sports days, science fair, technology challenges, and much more.

I look forward to getting to know your whole family and supporting you to enjoy our school and community. Please contact me or any of the staff at school, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Kind regards,

Daniel Withington

Principal

What's happening at Hedgehope School?

Upcoming Events in April

Tue 28

BOT Meeting @ 7pm

28 Apr 2026

Tue 28

Year 7/8 Epro 8 at 2h30 Inter-School Challenge @ JHC Junior College

28 Apr 2026

Tue 28

Year 5/6 Epro 8 at 10h30 Inter-School Challenge @ JHC Junior College

28 Apr 2026

Latest Notices

Duck Day 2026

28 Apr 2026

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Please find all you need to know for our Duck Day on Friday 1st May, on the atatched poster.

Regards,
Daniel

Duck-Day-2026.PNG

Omaui Videos/Photos

28 Apr 2026

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

We are excited to share that photos from our recent camp are now available!

It was a fantastic experience for our students, filled with adventure, challenge, and plenty of memorable moments. The photos capture just a small glimpse of the fun, teamwork, and resilience shown throughout the camp.

You can view the photos here: Camp Media

Please remember that these photos are for personal use only and should not be shared publicly without permission from the school.

A huge thank you again to our staff and parent volunteers who made this experience possible — we truly appreciate your support

Head Lice

27 Apr 2026

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Following our recent school camp, we have identified a small number of cases of head lice (nits) within the group.

Head lice are a common issue among school-aged children and are not a reflection of hygiene. They spread easily through close contact, which can happen during activities such as camp.

We ask that you please check your child’s hair over the next few days. If you find head lice or eggs (nits), begin treatment as soon as possible. The Ministry of Health recommends that students with live lice should inform the school and stay away from school until treatment has started.

For further information, please see the attached information sheet.

Regards,
Daniel

Head-Lice-Information-Sheet-1.pdf

Piwakawaka Week 1 Roundup

24 Apr 2026

Piwakawaka Class has had a busy and meaningful week as we explored the importance of ANZAC Day. The children showed great interest and respect while learning about this significant event, and we were so impressed with the beautiful artwork created in response. A special highlight was Georgia sharing a framed certificate from her Great-Grandad, who served in the war as a tanker driver—such a wonderful and personal connection to our learning.

We have also successfully kickstarted our Oral Language Rotations again this term. It has been fantastic to see the children’s growing confidence when speaking in front of others. George shared an impressive picture of him after shooting his first hare, Elliott brought along some very cool farming books, and Ellie-May kept us all guessing with her mystery item—a spoon that proved almost impossible to identify!

Adding to our learning, we even baked some delicious ANZAC biscuits together. The children loved being involved in the process, and it was a great way to connect our classroom learning to a traditional part of ANZAC history.

This week, we have placed a strong focus on re-establishing routines. While it has taken a few days to settle back into the structure, it has been great to see everyone getting back on track and responding positively to the consistency.

We’re looking forward to another great week ahead!