Last updated November 2026
Knighton Normal School is a state, co-educational primary school for Years 1 to 6 at Knighton Road, Hillcrest, Hamilton. It opened in 1957 and had 693 students on its roll at 1 October 2026.
Its home zone includes parts of Hamilton East and Hillcrest; the zone map below shows the full boundary. As a normal school it takes student teachers on placement, and its Te Hihiri unit runs three partial immersion classes where tamariki learn core subjects in English and te reo Māori, with up to 80% of teaching in te reo.
The site lists after-school sports teams, inter-school events, lunchtime arts groups such as drama, choir, kapa haka and a Pasifika group, and before and after school care run by Journey Kids in the school hall.
At a glance
- Principal
- Andrew Campbell
- Address
- Knighton Road, Hillcrest, Hamilton
- Phone
- 07 856 5399
Home zone
Parts of these suburbs: Hamilton East and Hillcrest: check your street.
Zone boundaries are set by the school’s enrolment scheme and can change. Confirm your address with the school before you rely on it.
Who goes here
Share of the 693 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.
Stand-downs and suspensions
Cases per 1,000 students in 2025, adjusted for the ages of the school’s students, compared with all New Zealand schools.
Suspensions: fewer than 5 cases in 2025, so no rate is shown.
These measure how a school responds to behaviour, and schools set their own thresholds, so they are not a measure of how students behave.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a Te Ara Huarau School Profile Report from December 2023. A profile report sets out the school’s priorities and the evaluation it will carry out with ERO, rather than judging results.
ERO noted the Te Hihiri partial immersion classes and the school’s long link with the University of Waikato in training teachers.
The school chose to evaluate how well its programmes speed up learning and lift achievement in literacy, to narrow the gap between its literacy and maths results, with attendance as an ongoing priority. ERO pointed to a curriculum and values that support culturally responsive practice and student engagement, teaching that responds to each child’s needs, and inclusive, collaborative leadership.
The school’s next steps were to review literacy assessment so its data is consistent and reliable, strengthen internal evaluation at every level, and keep working with parents and whānau on ways to lift regular attendance.
Enrolling
Students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol. Out-of-zone places are offered under the school’s enrolment scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
The enrolment page asks for proof of an in-zone address and explains cohort entry, with two start dates each term for new entrants. Te Hihiri places have their own priority order and a separate expression of interest form, and the zone page describes the boundary and links an out-of-zone application form.
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 Hillcrest
Knighton Normal School is in Hillcrest. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
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Questions parents ask
Is Knighton Normal School zoned?
It has a home zone covering parts of Hamilton East and Hillcrest.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 6.
How many students go there?
693 at 1 Oct 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?
476. 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.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 10 Nov 2026 (CC BY 4.0). Home zone: Ministry of Education enrolment zones (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).