New ZealandNelsonNelsonNelson Central School

Nelson Central School

StateContributingCo-Educational
Nelson, Nelson · Large urban area
admin@nelsoncentral.school.nz 03-5484972
Total Roll370enrolled students
Māori13%of roll
Pacific4.3%of roll
Asian19.7%of roll
Student Body
370
enrolled students
European/Pākehā72.7%
Māori13%
Pacific4.3%
Asian19.7%
GenderCo-Educational
Nelson Central School

Ethnicity Breakdown

Nelson Central School's roll is predominantly european/pakeha (72.7%). The next largest group is asian students.

370students
European/Pakeha72.7%
Maori13%
Pacific4.3%
Asian19.7%
European/Pakeha72.7%
Maori13%
Pacific4.3%
Asian19.7%
Source: Ministry of Education (2026).

Compared to National Averages

The bars below show Nelson Central School's ethnicity breakdown compared to the national average across all New Zealand schools. The white reference line marks the national average for each group.

European/Pakeha
+26.7pp above avg72.7%
National average: 46%
Maori
-12.0pp below avg13%
National average: 25%
Pacific
-5.7pp below avg4.3%
National average: 10%
Asian
+7.7pp above avg19.7%
National average: 12%
Source: Ministry of Education (2026). National averages are approximate.

Ethnicity Roll Numbers

Absolute student numbers by ethnicity, as reported by the Ministry of Education. Students can identify with more than one ethnic group, so totals may exceed the total school roll.

Ethnic GroupStudents% of Roll
European/Pakeha26972.7%
Maori4813%
Pacific164.3%
Asian7319.7%
MELAA16
Other14
International9
Total Roll370100%
Source: Ministry of Education (2026).

Understanding Ethnicity Data

Self-identified ethnicity

Ethnicity in New Zealand school data is self-identified by students and families at enrolment. A student may identify with multiple ethnic groups, which means ethnicity percentages may sum to more than 100%.

Maori students and cultural context

New Zealand schools have a unique responsibility under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The proportion of Maori students can reflect a school's engagement with te reo Maori, tikanga, and culturally responsive practices.

Diversity is not a quality measure

A school's ethnic composition reflects its community, not its quality. Schools with high concentrations of any group serve their students well when they respond to their community's cultural, linguistic, and educational needs.

MELAA and Other categories

MELAA stands for Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African. The 'Other' category includes students who identify with ethnicities not covered by the main groups, as well as those who did not state an ethnicity.