Bethlehem School is a co-educational state primary school catering for children from Year 0 – Year 6 contributing to Otumoetai Intermediate, Tauranga Intermediate and Bethlehem College.
Bethlehem School was opened in 1883. It was a Native School until 1968 at which time the school had an almost 100% Maori roll of 250-300 pupils, including Form 1 and 2. It became a contributing school in the early 1970's. When Brookfield School was opened in 1979 and the free bus service linking
Judea and Bethlehem was withdrawn, a number of families were forced to transfer. The current makeup of the roll is 56% NZ European and 29% Maori, 7% Other European and 6% Asian. Since 1995 the school’s roll has increased steadily from 110 in 1994 to 545 in 2016. Continued steady growth is expected over coming years.
The school is situated in a semi-rural setting at the junction of Bethlehem Road and Carmichael Road, 8 kms from Tauranga. An enrolment scheme was introduced at the start of 2003 as a result of roll growth pressures and a home zone was established. This zone was reduced in size at the end of 2005 as a result of ongoing growth pressures.
The school buildings consist of: 23 teaching spaces in 6 teaching blocks, a 520 sq/m hall with an attached storage area and Art Centre (Whare Toi), an administration block (offices, staffroom and library). An attached pre-school is also onsite. The school has extensive park like grounds with spacious playing and sporting facilities along with a swimming pool, two hard (ashphalt & artificial turf) court areas and off street parking. A board-owned five bay garage provides for other storage needs.
Stability of staffing has been a feature of the school in the past and this has continued. As well as full time classroom teachers, staffing includes part time teachers and support staff involved with Reading Recovery, Enrichment, PMP and other special needs programmes, a junior assistant, numerous teacher aides, office and property management staff. The school has gone through significant changes and development to align itself with 21st Century learning practices and resources. The school operates three Maori Medium L1 classes to cater for the needs of students coming from three contributing kohanga reo. We also provide learning in Te Reo and Tikanga Maori throughout mainstream classes.
Pupils and staff benefit from a supportive community with active groups such as the PTA, the BoT and Whanau Support who not only focus on fundraising but on supporting parents to develop better relationships with school.
All of the elements noted above combine to create a stimulating learning environment that makes the most of its semi-rural situation.