Last updated October 2026
Bethlehem College is a state-integrated, co-educational composite school for Years 1 to 13 at 24 Elder Lane, Bethlehem, Tauranga. It opened in 1992 and had 2,108 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. The college describes itself as one college with three schools: a primary school and a secondary school on its Bethlehem campus, and BC Chapman, a primary campus on a church site in Rotorua. Its site lists specialist art and music in the primary years, option rotations for Years 7 and 8 that include te reo Māori, drama, food and textiles, sports from hockey and netball to rowing and water polo, and an international department with homestays.
At a glance
- Principal
- Larne Edmeades
- Address
- 24 Elder Lane, Bethlehem, Tauranga
- Phone
- 07 576 6769
Home zone
No home zone: any student can apply to enrol. If more students apply than there are places, the school decides how places are offered.
NCEA results
School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with all New Zealand school leavers.
This school New Zealand
School leavers are students who left school that year, whatever year level they left from.
Who goes here
Share of the 2,108 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
109 international students
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.
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 Special Review Report from December 2023. ERO widened a regular review after concerns about a clause on marriage added to the school’s statement of belief, which families and staff must commit to as a condition of enrolment and employment (the board withdrew it after the Ministry told it to remove it, while telling parents the beliefs remained core to the school), and complaints from former students about homophobic bullying.
The review looked at whether the school is taking all reasonable steps to keep every student, including LGBTQIA+ students, physically and emotionally safe.
ERO found that many teachers, staff and parents see the college as a positive place with a strong community feel, and a large group of students feel safe there. But a small number of current and former students told ERO they felt singled out, bullied and targeted because of their sexual orientation.
ERO judged that the college had not yet balanced its stated beliefs with its legal obligations to students, and that students who do not fit the school’s special character are not well acknowledged or included. It also found gaps in staff training, health education, independent ways for students to raise concerns and internal review, while noting a restructured pastoral care system.
ERO’s next steps for the school’s leaders and board include reconciling the school’s beliefs with its obligations as a state-integrated school, making sure every student is respected, included and safe, training staff, broadening health education to the full curriculum, reviewing policies for possible discrimination around sexual orientation and gender identity, and setting up an independent complaints route for students. ERO said it would publish a further report.
Read the ERO reports for Bethlehem College
Enrolling
Bethlehem College is a state-integrated Christian school. Its enrolment policy gives preference to families with a connection to a Christian church or who accept the college’s statement of special character, and limits places for other families to a small share of the roll.
Applicants read and sign the statement of special character and belief, supply a church reference, may be asked to attend a special character seminar, and have an interview with the head of school, and children go on a waiting list until a place is available at their year level.
Attendance dues are compulsory. The college publishes its fees and its application closing dates for each year level on its enrolment page.
Schools nearby
In Bethlehem
Bethlehem College is in Bethlehem. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Bethlehem guide →Questions parents ask
Is Bethlehem College zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 13.
How many students go there?
2,108 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
It may. It is not in the donation scheme, so it can ask families for donations.
What is its Equity Index?
409. 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.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 93.5% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 22 Oct 2026 (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).