Schools in the Canterbury town of Lincoln were locked down on Thursday afternoon after a "second hand report" of a person with a gun.
An image supplied to Newshub showed multiple police cars at the schools, which neigbour each other.
In a text message to parents, Lincoln High School said students remained in classrooms and officers were onsite.
A Lincoln Primary School message said there was "no direct risk to our students".
Messages to parents just before 2pm confirmed the lockdowns had since been lifted.
"Staff are at the scene and confident there is no firearms or immediate threat," a police spokesperson said.
Officers would remain in the area to investigate the report and provide reassurance, the spokesperson added.
