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While the school’s twin stats are remarkable, twins are increasingly common globally and in New Zealand. New Zealand produced 561 sets of twins in 1974. By 2024, that number increased 37 percent to 771. Globally, twin births have increased by a third since the 1980s.
Health New Zealand gives a few reasons for this. The average age of a mother giving birth is increasing, and the body starts to release multiple eggs as women age. Parents are increasingly turning to IVF to conceive. Transferring multiple embryos to the uterus was sometimes done to increase the chance of success, but domestic IVF policy now allows for only one embryo transfer at a time, except in rare situations. Pregnancies with multiple babies increase risk for mother and children.
There could also be a compounding factor. A twin parent has an increased likelihood of producing twin babies.
Whatever the reason, double luck has struck twice for Isabelle and Sophie, 10. The twins are in year six at Ōtūmoetai Primary, and their two older siblings are also twins.
While not identical, Isabelle and Sophie are often confused with each other, which can get annoying, they say. However, the benefits of twinning far outweigh any downside.
“That, like, we can do things together, and then, like, with the same age, yeah, so, like, we’re not alone, yeah,” says Sophie.
They both like to eat lollies above all else, but differ on what they like to do. Sophie likes to run at athletics, whereas Isabelle is into walk racing.
Poppy and Rosie, 9, are one of the school’s identical pairs.
“I’m lucky that I have a really kind one (sister) that is always nice when I’m a bit sad. She always brightens my day,” says Rosie.
They often have different hair lengths that others use as a marker to distinguish who is who, but at the moment, their hair lengths are similar.
So can McIndoe, the principal, tell them apart?
“I can’t. I actually still can’t. I have to ask them. So they’re in different classes now, which does make it a bit easier for me when I’m going into the room…”
And sometimes they can’t either. When it comes to captions for school photos, the twins have trouble saying who is who, says McIndoe.
The school likes to celebrate its unique twin situation. That has helped at least one set see their situation with fresh eyes. The twin boys didn’t like being twins, and since coming to the school, they are really excited to be a twin set, says McIndoe.
When twins arrive at the school, they start in the same entrant class. One teacher had three sets in her classroom at once, which was a challenge, says McIndoe. Often, twin sets are divided into different classrooms as they progress through the school.
“…then they can sort of become a bit more independent and find themselves, I suppose, not be as reliant on each other.”
“The teachers just said it’s just making sure that they treat them as individuals, I suppose, is the biggest thing.”
