Ellesmere College

Ellesmere College is a rural, co-educational, Years 7-13 College situated at Leeston, 45 kilometres from Christchurch. The College opened in February 1981 replacing Southbridge District High School as the provider of secondary education in the Ellesmere community.  The College has grown from an initial roll of 380 students to a current roll of approximately 550.

Historically the College has served a geographically widespread area from the Rakaia  River in the south to the Selwyn River in the north, and from Lake Ellesmere to almost the foothills of the Southern Alps.  However, the requirement to implement an Enrolment Scheme and home zone from 2007 does have implications for enrolment access to the College.