OUR KURA
Nau mai, haere mai ki Blenheim School - Welcome to Blenheim School.
Uniquely located in the heart of the Blenheim CBD. We have been the heart of learning in our community since 1859, and continue to go from strength to strength. As the oldest school in Blenheim, we are proud of our rich heritage and long-standing commitment to education.
Guided by our school vision, He Pito Mata - Awakening Potential, and grounded in our values of Whanaungatanga (embracing each other), Manaakitanga (lifting the mana of others), Wairuatanga (self-reflection), and Rangatiratanga (weaving people together), we foster a nurturing environment where every learner is supported to thrive. At Blenheim School, we honour the past, embrace the present, and empower our tamariki for the future.
Ngāti Kuia and Blenheim School
Blenheim School is proud to stand on the ancestral land of Ngāti Kuia, one of the oldest iwi in Te Tauihu (Top of the South). Ngāti Kuia’s deep connection to this region stretches back over 800 years, and their stories, traditions, and values are woven into the land on which our school stands.
We honour Ngāti Kuia as tangata whenua and recognise their enduring role as kaitiaki (guardians) of this area. Blenheim School is committed to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strengthening our relationship with Ngāti Kuia, ensuring that our tamariki learn about and celebrate the rich Māori heritage that surrounds them.
Through shared learning, cultural events, and local history, we continue to build a school environment where the identity, language, and culture of Ngāti Kuia and all Māori are valued and visible every day.
HISTORY
Marlborough's early schools faced a tough beginning. The first school in Blenheim - the school that we now know as Blenheim School, in Blenheim's central business district - was established in 1859 by settlers from Nelson. Teachers were paid about £100 a year (a very low wage) and few possessed any kind of qualification. Funding was so limited that families had to pay for their children to attend school.
Blenheim's first teacher, James White, was appointed by the Nelson Education Council. In July 1860, Marlborough province's new superintendent, Mr W. Adams set up a special committee of school management. The new Marlborough Provincial Council provided a grant of £300 for a teacher's salary, schoolbooks, and to improve the school building, which was considerably smaller than today's building. The original building housed the teacher's residence as well as classrooms. To access their classroom, the students had to walk through the teacher's living room. Alterations made in 1861 changed the layout so that the dwelling and classrooms were separated. The classrooms were heated by a woodstove, and the communal desks - up to 18 feet long - were made of kahikatea.
In 1861, the school's roll was 47 students. Blenheim School was the largest in the province. Other schools included Picton (32 students), Upper Spring Creek (7), Renwick (6), and Wairau Valley (18). The Education Act of 1877 saw the establishment of a national Education Department and a system of free, compulsory education for everybody. The financial hardship experienced by Blenheim School and the practice of farm children staying home to assist with chores both became a thing of the past.
Blenheim School's earliest building was sold in 1879 and removed from the site. The new building, complete with kauri floors and totara beams, burned down the following year. Only the rifles used by the school's cadet unit were saved. The girls moved into the Wesleyan Hall, and the boys moved into the Earps (Temperance) Hall. Earps Hall burned down just 12 days later, and the boys again relocated, this time to the Nativity Church Hall.
A brick schoolhouse was opened in 1889 and remained in use until the present school building opened in 1937. A Technical School (dressmaking, woodwork, etc) was built on the Alfred St side of the property in 1906, and Blenheim's first dental clinic opened on site a few years later.
Today's School Hall began life in Peketa, south af Kaikoura. It was used as a Community Centre during the construction of the South Island Main Trunk Railway. It was moved to its current location in 1945, placed on a foundation of rimu joists and concrete piles, and carpeted with second-hand carpet from the Grosvenor Hotel. Students of the Wairau Pa School occupied this building for a time, as their own school was undergoing repairs after flood damage. The pool, located next to the Hall, was added in 1959.
High School students were taught at Blenheim School until 1900. After the war years, Blenheim School's roll hit a high of 669 students. Redwoodtown, Whitney Street, and Mayfield Schools were built in the next decade to ease the strain. Today, Blenheim School's roll sits at around 100 students from New Entrants to Year 6.
