Though our school opened in 1925, there were earlier attempts by church members to provide quality Christian education for the children of church members. The first Seventh-Day Adventist school in Christchurch began in 1903, which lasted only a short time before closing in 1904. Another attempt was begun in 1914, when a kindergarten building (which still stands, at 5 Grove Street, Addington) was purchased, and the school opened by Pr. A. G. Daniells, on June 20, 1914. This school closed in 1920, and the land sold, the proceeds placed in a school fund for future use. The site of our current school (in Papanui) was purchased in 1924 for £500, and the school opened on April 27 1924, with Miss Maude Smart as the teacher, and a roll of 22. The school has been continuously operating on the site since then.

The school roll has fluctuated over the years, with numbers being down during the depression, but increasing with record crop harvests and increased prices that allowed parents the luxury of sending their children to a private Christian school.

A Secondary curriculum was offered from around 1932, with a new block (costing £660) of 3 classrooms being built. A uniform was adopted for the 1933 year, using the Australasion Union Conference colours of blue and green.

A new woodwork room and toilet block were built in the 1950's by Mr S. Presnall and others from the Papanui Church. The Secondary department building was built in 1985, and more recently (2006) the computer lab and staff room were re-developed and enlarged. New courts (2004) and a freshly laid field (2006) have given us great outdoor facilities as well.

From 2003 our Year 12 students have participated in service trips, to less well off schools in the Pacific. The students raise all the money needed from many fund-raising ventures, including running the school tuck-shop, selling chocolate, lamingtons & pizzas, washing cars, hosting service auctions and more. The students then fix, clean and paint classrooms and other buildings (dining rooms, kitchens, libraries) in a school somewhere in the pacific. Destinations have been Vanuatu (twice), Samoa, Raratonga, and Fiji. The students learn that it is more rewarding to serve than to be served, as well as the values of community, hard work, friendship and commitment.