Kimi Ora School Wellington is a special needs school in Wellington, New Zealand, for students with disabilities. Kimi ora is Maori for "seeking well-being in health" or "to be made whole".

Kimi Ora School
Address
Map
100 Walter Street, Naenae, Lower Hutt & Kemp Street, Kilbirnie, Wellington
Coordinates41°11′50″S 174°56′34″E / 41.1973361°S 174.9428642°E / -41.1973361; 174.9428642
Information
TypeState co-ed special school on five sites
Established1951 in Thorndon, relocated in 2011 Kimi Ora Base School Naenae and Evans Bay Satellite Unit
Ministry of Education Institution no.514
PrincipalShirley Jones
School roll99[1] (August 2024)
Socio-economic decile8
WebsiteKimiora School

Kimi Ora Specialist School caters for High and Very high special needs pupils of primary and secondary school age to adulthood, or ages 5 to 21, and draws pupils from the Wellington region, up to the Kapiti Coast and the Hutt Valley.

The school offers an holistic approach to education. Speech language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy are offered on site, on an ongoing basis, and add an extra dimension to each student's education.

The school had been located in Thorndon for nearly 60 years before it was decided to leave the area in 2011 allowing it to increase its roll. The move allowed Kimi Ora to increase its roll from 35 to 40 students (22 at Naenae and 18 at Evans Bay). In the beginning of 2011 the new Kimi Ora Base School was opened next to the existing intermediate schools in Naenae (Lower Hutt) and a satellite unit in Evans Bay (Kilbirnie). The Base School has been awarded by the New Zealand Green Building Council with a 5 Star Green Star NZ – Education 2009 Certified Rating.

Kimi Ora School now has a roll of 99 students as at 2023. There are now five sites covering the Lower Hutt and Wellington region. The Base school in Naenae, a satellite with 3 classes located at Pomare Primary School in Lower Hutt, a satellite with 1 class located in the Manaaki Disability Trust in Lower Hutt, a satellite with 2 classes at Miramar Central School in Wellington and a satellite with 3 classes located on the grounds of Evans Bay Intermediate in Wellington.

References

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  1. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.