Nei rā te mihi atu ki ā koutou i raro i te korowai ō tō tātou nei tauheke a Taranaki. Naumai ki te tau hau o 2024.  

Nau mai ki te whenua toanga o te hapu o ahitahi me nga Iwi o Ngati Ruanui, Ngaruahine, me Ngati Maru hoki.


Greetings to everyone who sits under the cloak of our ancestor Mounga Taranaki.  Welcome to 2024.  Welcome to our special place here in Ahi Tahi (Midhirst) and our 3 Iwi we connect to.

Established in 1879 in a private house with a roll of 12-14 students. Three years later in 1882 a new school and residence was built.


A tidy, attractive, well presented, small (135 students), rural, full primary school Yr0–Yr8, made up of six composite classrooms (classrooms are named after the mountains; Paritutu, Kaitake, Panitahi, Taranaki, Pouakai, and Ngā Motu). The School is the hub of the Midhirst Community. Students come to school via bus (3 MOE bus runs), car or walk.

Our school logo displays our mounga from the Stratford/Whakaahurangi side.  The koru in the heart of the mounga symbolises the children as they are the heart of everything we do (He tamaiti o te putake o te ngakau).  On the website we also have the Manganui and Patea Rivers represented underneath the logo.  The Manganui represents the boundary between Ngati Maru and Te Atiawa Iwi and the Patea represents the boundary between Ngati Maru and Ngati Ruanui Iwi.


Our school ANZAC gates were designed by our tamariki and a local artist.  They are remembrance gates to show respect to those in World War 1 and 2.  We have panels on each side of the gates.  On the left is a Poutama / Stairway design which shows the passing of knowledge from generation to generation.  On the right are ferns with koru patterns symbolising the many generations / whānau that have gone through Midhirst School.

Our school Vision is KAHA.  This represents our Values:

K -Ka Eke Toku Pai / Our Best Always

A -Auaha / Innovative Creative Learning  

H -Hauora / Well Being  

A -Ako - Reciprocal Learning


We believe our akonga need these values to be lifelong learners.  With these values all akonga can succeed and reach their potential. 


Our localised curriculum is called Korowai and from this we use activation activities to identify akonga interests and skill levels.  We teach students the appropriate skills needed for them to inquire and solve local issues. The Korowai or overarching themes are:

Te Ao / How the World Works, Cause and Effects, and Nature of Science

Hauora / Health, Wellbeing, and Relationships

Kaitiakitanga / Guardianship, Caring for and Protecting the World

Kotahitanga / Unity, Togetherness, Relationships, Community, Staying Safe

Aotearoa / NZ Culture and History, Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Auahatanga / Creativity and Innovation, Materials and Technology


Our Korowai is weaved into all areas of the daily Midhirst Literacy and Numeracy programmes.


Ko te manu e kai ana te Miro noona te ngahere, Ko te manu e kai ana te mataurangi noona te Ao.

The bird that feeds on the Miro will always live in the forest, The bird that feeds on knowledge will thrive in the wider world.

At Midhirst School we want all our children to thrive in the wider world.


No reira, 

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou

Na Graham Sands

Principal