Hillview Christian School

Hillview Christian School was founded in 1977 by the Evangelistic Church to provide a Christian education that they believed was essential for their children's intellectual and spiritual development. For the first 15 years, the school was known as St. Martins Private School, and it was exclusively open to students from founding church families. The church underwent a substantial cultural transition in 1990, which resulted in several modifications, including a name change to South City Christian Centre. For the first time, the school allowed students from outside the church that was founded in 1994. This resulted in a name change to St. Martins Christian School in 1995, and then to Hillview in 2001 to avoid confusion with the nearby St. Martins School. Hillview is a typical socioeconomic school, and the diversity and quantity of ethnic groups reflect New Zealand society. Approximately 10% of the student body is Maori, while more than 5% is of Pacific Island background. The school is located in St Martins, which is in the south-east of Christchurch near the Port Hills. The junior school (the original location) is on the east side of Wilsons Road, while the senior school is on the opposite side of the road, approximately 150 meters south of the original school.