Our History

SCHOOL HISTORY

The Whenua

At Te Kura o Cloverlea we aim to build whānaungatanga and create an environment in which the whānau, staff and our community work together to provide the best possible education for our LEGENDs.

We have a highly experienced, quality staff who are committed to providing an education that best meets the needs of all tamariki. Classes work collaboratively together so that the students get the very best from every kaiako. We are passionate about ensuring our classroom practice enacts Te Tiriti o Waitangi and that our learning programmes are unique to Aotearoa. Staff are dedicated to ensuring that all Cloverlea LEGENDs reach their potential, while also embracing their culture and recognising their individuality.

Our localised curriculum has been designed with our tomokanga as the anchor for learning. Designed and carved by Matua Craig Kawana, Rāngitane master carver, our tomokanga is the first thing you see when you enter our kura. The pūrakau (traditional Māori oral stories) and history depicted on our tomokanga are the visual representation of contexts all LEGENDs will learn through during their time at Cloverlea.

The school opened in 1975, with ongoing refurbishments over recent years to make our learning spaces flexible and inviting. There are thirteen teaching classrooms, a spacious hall, a swimming pool, an all-weather turf, a range of LEGENDary outside play areas, along with an amazing new Basketball Court and beautiful sensory garden, Te Mara o Rongo, added in 2025.

Something that makes us unique is that our grounds open out to Cloverlea Park, meaning we can use the park and playground easily as part of learning, our bike track is bigger and we have a lot more space to spread out for school events and class and team activities. Te Kura o Cloverlea grounds are an inviting community space that we encourage you to enjoy and be kaitiaki of outside of school hours. While parts of our kura are fenced, there are no plans to fully fence to ensure our LEGENDs have the best opportunities to access large grounds for all their educational needs.

We encourage you to come for a visit and see how wonderful being part of the Te Kura o Cloverlea community really is.We invite you to explore our site and discover the learning and community Te Kura o Cloverlea provides to each and every LEGEND. Get in touch with us today to schedule a tour, learn more about enrolment, or ask any other questions.

A Desperately Needed School!

As early as 1928, a request was made for a school to be established in the growing settlement of Cloverlea. The need arose as more families moved into the area and it became increasingly difficult for local children to travel the long distance required to attend Central School. In response to the concerns of the community, a meeting was held by the Wanganui Education Board, following a formal request made by the Cloverlea settlers. The matter was taken seriously and was referred to the chief inspector, who was asked to investigate whether a more suitable solution could be found. However, despite these early efforts, progress was slow. For several years, the issue remained unresolved and families continued to face challenges in accessing education for their children.

Newspaper articles from as late as 1936 reported that students from Cloverlea were still being transported to Central School, showing the ongoing difficulties and frustration within the community. Throughout this time, the residents of Cloverlea remained persistent in their efforts, repeatedly voicing the need for a local school that could serve their children more conveniently and safely. Their dedication laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the opening of Cloverlea School.

The opening of Cloverlea School

Cloverlea School finally opened in 1975 to meet the needs of the growing suburb of Cloverlea. Tom Kelliher was appointed as the school’s first principal. On opening day, the school welcomed a roll of 136 students, including 46 infants, 35 in Standard 1, 24 in Standard 2, 21 in Standard 3 and 10 in Standard 4. Among the first day enrolments were 10 brand new five-year-olds, beginning their school journey at Cloverlea. The photo at the top of the page is of the first day pupils and staff.

Property Improvements

Over the 50 years since Te Kura o Cloverlea opened, there have been a huge number of improvements to the grounds and the buildings to get it to the LEGENDary kura it is today.

In 1981 construction of the school pool began, opening for use in 1983. The mural along the front walkway fence was created in 1989 and still remains today. The adveture playground was added in 1992 and then further extended in 1998, and has continued to evolve and extend to this day. There have also been numerous building changes to accommodate the growing community and evolving educational needs.

Other additions include more stunning murals, the bike track, a vege garden, a junior playground and most recently a new turf, full basketball court and Te Mara o Rongo (our sensory garden) and of course our incredible tomokanga.

There are no photos from this time as it was in the very early days of photography, but this image helps us understand how it would have looked in the 1800s.