It marked the milestone last week, with founding Ben Witheford saying the decade’s flown by.
In 2015 it opened its doors with just 88 year 1-4 students and seven teachers — this year it boasts a roll of 530 with 50 staff.
Witheford says "it’s only when you’re looking back at photos of our early days, you realise just how little development existed — all the houses around us did not exist 10 years ago".
By the end of the first year, the school had enrolled 160 students in a school originally built for 450 children.
Last year the school — extended in 2020 — had its record roll, with 620 students, and its biggest cohort of school leavers — 84
Witheford says "seeing the school growing with the community as the community gets built out is pretty special— and it’s happened pretty rapidly".
"I think the original plan of this subdivision was supposed to take about 10 years to establish itself, and they ran out of sections about five years ago."
As time goes on, development continues in the area, with the new 2400-home Ladies Mile subdivision in the pipeline on the other side of the highway.
While the Ministry of Education has signed off for a new Ladies Mile school, Witheford suspects its opening is still a while away.
"Once development starts, I’m sure we will see growth similar to what we did when Shotover was constructed.
"We have capacity for 900 students here, which I’m sure we will reach in time."
When the school was being established, Witheford says the board of trustees had a vision to make it the "heart of the community".
‘The board has well and truly nailed the vision.
"A lot of parents value the fact that this school sits right in the heart of where they live.
"Shotover Primary has the highest non-car transportation to school because the kids can get from Lake Hayes Estate, Quail Rise, and, obviously, from Shotover Country, on their bikes, scooters or by walking safely — they don’t have to go across the main road, it’s literally in their own backyard.
"It’s rare the school grounds are ever empty — there is always someone enjoying the playground, playing on the field."
As the school has grown it’s developed numerous community events, from twilight markets to picnics and the annual summer fair.
Growing success
Over the past 10 years, Shotover Primary School has consistently helped the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust replant the Shotover wetlands.
Principal Ben Witheford says talks with the Stalker family — who established Shotover Country — happened very early on.
With planting starting in the school’s first year, the Shotover wetlands are now restored.
"The place is looking positively different than what it did 10 years ago.
"The planting has been a nice way to connect with the community as the community’s growing."
However, restoration work hasn’t stopped, with students now planting at Bridesdale and Lake Hayes Estate.
"The plants mean a lot to students — kids will tell us what plants they put in when they were five, and some have watched them grow taller than them.
"The cool thing is the kids can go back down there and realise they’re actually having an impact."
