It's the mystery on the lips of every student and teacher at Arataki School, what has happened to the gingerbread man.

The students have run, run, as fast as they can, but it seems they just can't catch the gingerbread man.

Erin Cartwright, who teaches in room four, says the gingerbread man was baked by the students of rooms four and five on Tuesday afternoon.

'Our five and six-year-old students have baked a great big ginger bread man,” she says. 'When we went to chop him up and eat him, he wasn't there.”

The gingerbread man was found to be missing on Wednesday morning.

The students of room four say he has left letters, crumbs and clues which may point to his whereabouts.

'Every now and then he leaves us crumbs, notes and letters,” says Erin. 'He's told us: ‘thank you very much for baking me, I'm very happy I'm alive but I don't want to be eaten so I've gone.

'The whole school is involved, we've put messages over the school speaker system and everyone is sharing their hints and getting involved.

'They're all very beside themselves that they can't find this gingerbread man. They think the teachers have eaten him.

So far clues have pointed to the garden and the school scooter track.

'We're not sure he'll ever be found, the students say they are going to eat him if they ever find him.”

Students and teachers of the school are now asking public to keep an eye out for him.

Anyone who may have spotted the Arataki School gingerbread man is urged to contact Erin by emailing e.cartwright@arataki.school.nz