Closure of Gisborne’s Cobham School confirmed as student numbers dwindle

Cobham School will close its doors on June 27 after a decision by the Ministry of Education. Photo / Zita Campbell

A Gisborne primary school is to shut its doors after over 60 years due to a declining roll and high staff turnover.

The decision to close Cobham School was made by the Ministry of Education (MoE) after consultation with the school, whānau and other community members.

The Lytton Rd school has served the southern Elgin area since November 29, 1962.

MoE has said the school will close June 27.

A commissioner ran the school from September 2023 due to its ongoing challenges.

The school of 25 predominantly Māori and Pacific Island students has a family-focused ethos under the motto: “He iti pounamu, he whānau kotahi” [small but precious, whānau first].

Its roll decreased by almost half since 2020 – from 40 to 25 in 2024 – according to the MoE.

Five different principals have led the school over the last 10 years.

Bonnie Parata, who attended Cobham School during the late '70s, said the playground had not changed since she was a child. Photo / Zita Campbell

Bonnie Parata attended Cobham during the late ’70s and her kids went there through the early ’90s and into the early 2000s.

She was sad but not surprised at the ministry’s decision as she felt the school and the area of Elgin were in decline.

“The school’s playground is still the same as when I was a child,” Parata said. “When you go and look at the school now, that was not the school that I went to ... it doesn’t have the same feeling. It’s gone downhill.”

She worried about outcomes for the area when the school closed.

“Are you going to get more vandalism there? You already get people doing skid marks in the carpark.”

Parata said the school connected one generation to the next.

“There are people in the community who sent their kids to the school because they went there.”

Gordon Pepere was principal of the school from 1997-2011 and had also attended as a pupil in the late ’60s when there were more than 200 pupils.

When he was principal, the school had around 80 pupils, he said. It was the last of five schools to join the area of Elgin.

Pepere said during his time there had been informal mentions of schools merging or closing as there were so many schools nearby.

“While it wasn’t ... openly stated, it was being discussed amongst ministry people who would come in and visit the school.”

Odessa Stewart, who taught at Cobham from 2017-23, said the small school roll made it unique.

“In the Māori community we would always get the kids to learn their whakapapa and so by doing that created even stronger connections with the children and their families,” Stewart said.

She described a wraparound support system from school staff to the students and families of the children.

“We were going over and beyond for these kids. We were giving them breakfast, morning tea, lunch.

“If we knew a whānau didn’t have kai, or even if we suspected it, we were making up kai packages to send home with the kids.”

However, she said teacher retention was an issue at the decile 1 school.

“But that’s sort of like any school when you’re in a low-decile area – where you’re trying to not just help and teach but also to provide tamariki with the tools to go out into the real world.

“It’s a hard job, it’s a big job and it takes its toll on anyone.

“People buzz out that I was there for five years.”

She has since shifted to the Manawatū but has maintained close ties with the school.

“Why close the school if you’ve still got children on the roll?” she said. “It’s saying there’s still a need, they love the school, so why close?”

MoE deputy secretary Jocelyn Mikaere said the decision was made after consultation with the school, whānau, community, iwi and other parties.

“Despite additional financial, curriculum and leadership support provided by the ministry, the school has struggled to maintain stability.

“The roll has been declining since 2020 and persistent difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff, including the principal, have further impacted the school.”

Mikaere said an Education Review Office (ERO) report from September 2023 highlighted significant concerns, emphasising the need for improvements, including attendance, engagement and achievement.

Newsletters from 2024 show the school’s attendance for kids attending 90-100% of the time fluctuated from 32-80%, with the school giving incentives, including going in the draw to win a $300 grocery voucher for best attendance.

In May 2024, the commissioner recommended to the ministry that Cobham School be considered for closure, said Mikaere.

The current students will be accommodated at other schools in the local network, she said.

An MoE spokesperson said no decisions had been made about the property.

“The first step will be to decide if there are other educational uses for the funding. This process will begin this year.”

Commissioner for the school, Carney Pipi, announced the closure on Cobham’s Facebook page this week.

“Cobham School has been more than just a place of learning; it has been a hub of community, connection and shared experiences for generations.”

Principal Pat Ross was approached to comment but referred comments to Pipi, who referred comments to MoE.

According to Photo News Gisborne, the school was named after the former Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Cobham. Chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board, W Smith, officially opened and named the school on November 29, 1962. Photo / photonews.org

Councils' plans for housing expansion

Elgin is considered a growth area for housing development.

When asked whether the school’s closure could affect Gisborne District Council’s future development strategy, director of sustainable futures Jo Noble said the council was well advanced in the preparation of a change to the Tairāwhiti Resource Management Plan.

“The announced closure of Cobham School will not at this stage be reflected in that plan change.

“However, council has also initiated the preparation of a master plan for Elgin and the closure of the school will be considered as part of its development.”