"We have always talked to him about what to do if this sort of thing ever happened and he did all the right things. He is proud he got away from this person," his mother said.
The woman said her son was "doing okay" but she was still shaken by what had happened.
"He is young so he is not thinking about what could have happened, but we are. I'm so glad he is all right."
Principal Cherie Taylor-Patel said the school acted quickly to notify parents and has taken steps to keep children safe, including extra stranger danger talks with police. Parents were asked to watch out for all children, not just their own.
"We have worked hard to keep our parents and community informed, to acknowledge the anxiety and concern this incident has created with parents and students, while also trying not to escalate the situation further," Taylor-Patel said.
It is the second reported attempted abduction this week, after a 13-year-old girl was slapped in the face by a man who then stalked her as she tried to get away.
She was walking along Glendale Rd, West Auckland, at 3.30pm on Friday when a man in a silver vehicle pulled over in front of her.
She ran towards a relative's house on West Coast Rd.
The boy's mother from Wednesday's incident said the man was tall, of medium build with brown skin.
He was wearing an adidas hoodie, black track pants and black Nike shoes with a bit of red and yellow. He also had a tattoo on his left arm and was wearing a silver watch on his right wrist.
Police are warning parents to make sure children know how to get safely to and from school.
• Go to school with your child to show them the safest route.
• Teach them to deal with hazards like narrow footpaths or busy roads. If they walk, make sure they always use pedestrian crossings.
• Meet the parents of children in your area and keep in touch.
• Teach the children to walk home together in twos or small groups, not alone. Make other arrangements if someone is away.
