UKTONZ2019

Hi guys , I know this has probably been asked alot. We are moving over I Jan time next year to Tauranga. We have 3 kids , 5,10 and 11 years old. I'm struggling to work out what's needed for schools. I know the schools are zoned. We dont have a clue as yet were we will renting. We will be staying with family first in Kathikathi until we get our bearings but obviously the schooling will be a issue. I would hate to put the kids in school and then need to move them again. So my question is I'll be working in Cameron road so would like to stay in an area that's not an issue getting to work. So can anyone suggest some good areas with schools that I should be looking at.

Thank you in advance

escapedtonz

So that's Katikati which is pronounced catty catty by most people but sounds like cutty cutty if you listen to the locals
We're only 20 mins or so from Katikati towards Tauranga off State Highway 2 (Te Puna).
Primary is years 1 to 6.
Intermediate is years 7 & 8.
Secondary is years 9 to 13.
Primary schools will allow enrollment of students from their 5th birthday onwards as that is the age when a school can claim & receive funding for each child. The law in NZ states all students must be in full time education before they turn 6 yrs old. Most people get their kids enrolled in school as soon as they turn 5, the next available school day after they turn 5 or the start os the next term. This means kids start school throughout the year and not just in one big block at the start of a new school year. School years run from Jan/Feb to Jan/Feb.
If you are coming over in January you will be coming towards the end of the school summer holidays and the new year and new term will start at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb 2020. The actual date the school starts back is dependent on the school.
There's only two schools in Katikati. The primary school for ages 5 to 11 or years 1 to 6 then the College for years 7 through 13.

Realistically Katikati is too far away from Tauranga to be a place to commute from daily. It is minimum 45 minutes at 100kph on a single track state highway with only a few passing lanes. Traffic from Te Puna in to Bethlehem is often a nightmare and crawls at peak time 07:30 to 09:00. We are only 7 mins drive from Bethlehem but can sometimes take 30-45 mins depending on the traffic. Not a biggie in our opinion. Life is slower paced here anyways so we just get on with it.
Unless you are pinpointing a particular school in Tauranga (to be in that school zone) then you are going to be governed by where you can find a rental. Demand is very high and stock very low. It is a struggle to find a rental and be accepted for a rental.
By far the nicest suburb in Tauranga is Bethlehem. It has everything and allows easy commute in to the city and Cameron Rd. You can easily bike it from Bethlehem. It also has everything you need. A shopping centre, restaurants, cafes etc. It is a really nice suburb. We lived there renting for 2.5 years before buying land and building more rural in Te Puna.
If you want more rural or suburban coastal then further down state highway 2 past Bethlehem is an option. It is more rural with much fewer amenities but really nice in our opinion. Omokoroa gives a perfect balance between suburban living, some amenities - shops, restaurants, doctors, a gym etc and being right at the beach. Whakamarama and Te Puna where we are is very nice but rural so you need a car for everything, but with easy access to Bethlehem and Tauranga although as I said the traffic can be crap at peak times.
I'd avoid Welcome Bay and that way on (Ohauiti etc) as there is trouble with traffic in to the city from that side and I'm not a huge fan of that side. Also not a fan of Papamoa. Lots of road works ongoing for the next couple years as the interchange at Bayfair is being upgraded. There is a saying that West is BEST!!!
If you really want to be close to Cameron Rd then I'd opt for some of the nicer parts of The Avenues which is right next to the city outskirts or Otumoetai / Matua way. There is also The Lakes which is a pretty new subdivision out past Tauriko which is a rural area after Bethlehem. The Lakes is a huge estate with all pretty new housing with a couple lakes to walk around and a small shopping area. My only issue is its proximity to a huge industrial estate across the State Highway so you could have some nice views of the back of a logistics warehouse. There is a new shopping centre/cinema etc across from The Lakes called Tauranga Crossings which is pretty cool. The Lakes has many more houses to build yet and in a place that provides easy access in to the city via state highway 36 and the toll road. You could also live in Pyes Pa which is nice but older and pretty much next door to The lakes. You can access Cameron Rd either via Greerton, which can be very busy or via the toll road if you lived at The Lakes or Pyes Pa.
Happy to answer any questions on Tauranga and surrounds.

UKTONZ2019

Thank you so much for the detailed info. It's a great help