History
The school’s community is represented by four main areas:
- Waiomoko / Panikau Families
- Local whanau who live in Whangara, raised and brought up in Whangara, whakapapa to Whangara.
- Main Road Families (Turihaua to Rototahi Station)
- Whanau living in Gisborne, who have links or choose to educate children at Whangara School.
Our neighbouring schools are Wainui School to the south and Tolaga Bay Area School to the North.
The Whangara District has had 12 schools educating their children. The first, Whangara Native School, opened in 1902. Other schools were:
- Brosnahan’s 1917 – 1928
- Waiomoko 1916 – 1931
- Mokairau 1922 – 1918
- Mangaone 1922 – 1931
- Glenroy Road 1929 – 1936
- Mihiwhetu 1932 – 1941
- Pouawa 1937 – 1948
- Mihiwhetu 1942 – 1972
- Panikau 1953 – 1956
Of the 12 schools, Whangara is the sole survivor. The current class block was built in 1945 after the original school was burnt down.
The Puawai class (new entrants) was previously Pouawa School which was shifted to Whangara on the 25th of July 1989, with the help of a grant from the Williams family.
Paikea Kindergarten has been established and is on-site at Whangara School. The Paikea Kindergarten has been operating since 2014 and there are close links and relationships between both education centres.
The administration and Tohora classroom block was sited in September 1998 for the purposes of an administration block.
