Clyde Primary School will next year be open to enrolments from children outside its zone, for the first time since the zone was introduced.
Due to a large roll growth in Clyde and Alexandra in recent years, the school's zone was imposed at the start of 2008, after being approved by the Ministry of Education in 2007.
Enrolments were declined for the first time in July last year, when the school reached its roll capacity of 156.
Principal Doug White said children within the zone were able to attend Clyde Primary as of right, although the school was now in a position to offer out-of-zone positions to a limited number of children.
"We are able to accept new enrolments from people within the zone even if we are at capacity, although we have a relatively large number of year 8 pupils leaving us this year," he said.
The school has 160 pupils, 23 of whom are due to leave at the end of this school year.
Mr White said 138 were already on next year's roll, leaving 18 positions, five or six of which would be open to out-of-zone enrolments.
"It's a little bit of guesswork at this stage because people are coming and going," he said.
Priority criteria are in place for outside enrolments, which means children with siblings at the school are more likely to get in if there is competition for places.
Mr White said there were a few things which accorded priority, after which enrolments were open to anyone.
The zone had proven to the ministry growth was warranted within the school and funding had been granted accordingly.
"It has been a really good thing for us because it lets [the ministry] know the need in the area for more facilities.
"We have been able to get ministry funding for a new teaching space and that wouldn't have been guaranteed if we didn't have the zone," Mr White said.
The school's board of trustees is required by the Government to review the zoning scheme each year.
Mr White said at a recent yearly review it was decided to keep the zone in place.
Zone boundaries include the Clyde township and roughly half of all land between Clyde and Alexandra.
