Hedgehope School
Hedgehope School
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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
26 Jun 2026
26 Jun 2026
Parent-Teacher Conferences – Wednesday 22nd July
Bookings for our Parent-Teacher Conferences are now open on the Skool Loop app.
These conferences provide an opportunity to discuss your child's learning, celebrate their progress, and talk about next steps for the second half of the year.
Please book your preferred interview time as soon as possible to secure a suitable appointment. If none of the available times suit your family's schedule, please reach out directly to your child's teacher, and they will be happy to arrange an alternative time to connect outside of the conference window.
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Please see a message from the Hedgehope Makarewa Catchment Group.
On Thursday, 23rd July, Hedgehope School students will have the opportunity to participate in either the Hedgehope School PTA ski trip to The Remarkables or the Hedgehope School PTA ice-skating trip in Gore. Further details regarding timings and arrangements will be provided closer to the date.
Ice-Skating Trip. The ice-skating trip will be fully subsidised, meaning there will be no cost to families.
Ski Trip. The approximate cost of the ski trip is $85.00 per student, which includes:
A full-day lift pass
Equipment rental (skis, boots, and poles, or a snowboard and boots)
Helmet hire
A 1-hour 50-minute group lesson
Please note that there is no transport option provided for the ski trip. Families are responsible for arranging transport to and from The Remarkables. All vehicles travelling on the access road must be 4WD vehicles and are required to carry snow chains. If any parents have spare seats in their vehicle and are willing to provide transport and supervision for additional students, let us know. We will do our best to accommodate students wishing to attend without a parent (Years 5–8 only). All students are welcome to attend the ski trip. However, for safety reasons, students in Years 0–4 must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver who will be skiing with them and will be responsible for them throughout the day. All students must wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding. Helmets are included in the rental package. Wrist guards are available at no extra cost (subject to availability) and are highly recommended for snowboarders. Please note that NZSki does not provide waterproof gloves, goggles, sunglasses, or warm hats.
Please head to Skooloop to complete the ski and skate form to register your interest. The form will close on Friday, 19th June.
Thank you again to the PTA for your generosity and ongoing support in making this opportunity possible for our students. Their contribution enables our students to participate in a fantastic experience where they can challenge themselves, learn new skills, and create lasting memories.
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