Last updated October 2026
Malfroy School is a state, co-educational primary school for Years 1 to 6 at 196 Malfroy Road, Hillcrest, Rotorua. It opened in 1955 and had 304 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. It runs mainstream classes alongside two rumaki (te reo Māori immersion) classes and a Montessori class, and offers Upane, a transition-to-school programme for children about to start. Its website also lists kapa haka and sports including rugby, touch, rippa rugby, athletics and cross country.
At a glance
- Principal
- Nicky Brell
- Address
- 196 Malfroy Road, Hillcrest, Rotorua
- Phone
- 07 348 8588
Home zone
No home zone: any student can apply to enrol. If more students apply than there are places, the school decides how places are offered.
Who goes here
Share of the 304 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Report from September 2025. ERO found that success and progress are increasing, with almost all learners meeting or exceeding the expected curriculum level in maths, most in reading and a large majority in writing, and results even across groups. It noted high quality teaching, structured literacy across the junior and middle school, a strong sense of belonging, and learning that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
In the rumaki classes, most ākonga are at or above expected levels in pānui and pāngarau, but less than a third are in tuhituhi.
A small majority of learners attend school regularly, which is behind the government’s 80% target, though attendance is improving. ERO’s priorities are to strengthen assessment and moderation, work with early learning services on school readiness, lift attendance, and speed up te reo Māori progress, especially kōrero, in the rumaki unit, Te Mana Kākano o Te Utuhina.
ERO also found gaps in police vetting and safety checks for staff, which the board has since taken steps to address.
Read the ERO reports for Malfroy School
Enrolling
The school has no home zone, so any student can apply.
Parents can enrol children about to start school in the Upane transition programme through the school office.
Schools nearby
Where students go next
Based on home zones around the school’s own address. Families can apply to any school, and your own address decides which zones you are in.
In Utuhina Rotorua
Malfroy School is in Utuhina Rotorua. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Utuhina Rotorua guide →Questions parents ask
Is Malfroy School zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 6.
How many students go there?
304 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
No. It is in the donation scheme, so it only asks for donations for school camps.
What is its Equity Index?
529. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 24 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0).