Whangaehu School back from the brink of closure

The roll at Whangaehu School, led by principal Craig Sharp, has increased from four to 18 pupils. Photo/Stuart Munro

Two years ago Whangaehu School had just four pupils and was facing closure.

"When I took over as principal it was a six-month contract and I was told the school was being wound up," principal Craig Sharp said.

But the school is still open - and it's thriving, with a roll of 18 students and several more expected to start later in the year.

When he started at the school, Mr Sharp, who was previously principal at Castlecliff School, then a school in Feilding, decided to talk to Whangaehu locals about what they wanted. And what they wanted was the school to stay open.

So Mr Sharp decided to do his best to keep the school open.

Whangaehu School is in a scenic spot beyond Whangaehu village, surrounded by green fields. When the Wanganui Chronicle visited the school, it was lunch time and all 18 pupils - aged between 5 and 12 years old - were playing a game with hula hoops.

The really pleasing thing about the increased roll is that almost all the pupils are from either Whangaehu village or surrounding farms, Mr Sharp said. Only two make the trip from Whanganui each day.

The school is having new building work done during the July school holidays; and its last ERO report was positive. If the roll increases further the school may be able to get a second teacher.

"It's been a long time since this school had two teachers," Mr Sharp said.

He enjoys the change of being in charge of a rural school.

"You know the kids well - they're almost like family - and you know their families well. If something's happening at home, you get to hear about it.

"The kids can be individuals at a rural school, and it's easy to incorporate their interests into schoolwork," Mr Sharp said.

There's also an opportunity for the older children to learn leadership skills, as they spend most of their school time with younger children.

"The kids all play together, and you see the older ones making sure everyone understands the rules of the game, and making sure everyone gets treated fairly."

Mr Sharp said life wasn't easy for rural schools struggling to stay open. He puts this down to the changing nature of rural communities.

"It used to be that families owned and worked on the farms. But it's more transient now. Sharemilkers will stay for a year or two, and then they move on."

But the future of Whangaehu School is positive. The students take regular trips into town - they visit the Sarjeant Gallery and the Splash Centre, among other places - and have strong connections to other schools.

"There's no threat of the school closing now. It's part of the Whangaehu community," Mr Sharp said.