Our Students
All our students are important to us. We strive to develop well-rounded, confident young adults who are equipped for our modern and changing world. This is an important focus of Waimea College. Our co-educational setting provides vibrant academic and co-curricular opportunities and supports to ensure our young people are nurtured so they can reach their full potential.
While providing a world class academic education is our core business, our focus is also on developing strong citizens – young people with a sense of community, and service. This includes fostering an ability to relate to and work with others, including those socially and ethnically different. Our students are skilled and able to live and work in the real world to craft their own futures, as global citizens.
We are committed to supporting our Māori students along their journey for Māori to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori.
Student Leadership
Waimea College works to produce students who will become future leaders. We offer mentoring, workshops and leadership opportunities for both junior and senior students.
In Year 10 there is a strong Junior Leadership programme which starts with a camp and culminates in an end-of-year trip to Wellington. Over the year students are encouraged to develop their leadership potential in their peer group and within Waimea College. These students may in the future become one of our head students or House leaders, a Board of Trustees representative, an Academic, Music, Sports or Performing Arts Captain or a member of a number of student-led committees.
Activities such as Stage Challenge are run entirely by students and showcase their leadership skills as well as talent. In Year 10 Waimea College holds an Enterprise for Education (E4E) event over two days that is entirely run by students. It is based around a theme and is a wonderful opportunity for students to show what they are capable of when given support and the opportunity to shine.
Leadership Opportunities
Creating Future Leaders and providing leadership opportunities is a recognised strength at Waimea College. In the junior school leadership positions exist at Year 10 and in the senior school the variety of leadership positions include Academic, Sport, Performing Arts, Culture, Environment, International Student Support, Visual Art, House Captains, Community Services, Student Welfare and Diversity Captains.
Our senior student leaders have a significant part to play in leading school assemblies, representing the College in the community and as role models to the wider school. Students also elect a representative to the Board of Trustees.
Students have the opportunity to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh programme, and to represent their year level on the Student Council.
So be inspired …
Leadership 2021:
- Board of Trustees Student Representative: Macgregor Jones
- Head Students: Finn Griffith, Claudia Mark, Zac Last-Harris, Emily Russell, Piper Riley, Luis Schneider
- House Captains:
- Hillary House – Matt Anderson, Alice Ingram, Brooklyn Logan
- Sheppard House – Ella Ranson, Skye van Zyl, Keegan Williams
- Cooper House – Haylee Gardiner, Greta Meikle, Marcus Peattie
- Rutherford House – Ella Calder, Daniel Crimp, Gabrielle Scott
- Academic Captains: Luke Brown, Lily Chalmers, Sarah Charles, Oliver Clark, Sarah Ducray, Jesse Faulkner, Alice Hatton, Shenal Herath, Georgia Livingstone, Isabella Prendeville, Ellie Taylor
- Performing Arts Captains: Jabin Davis, Madi Fane, Myah Powell, Gian Strasser
- Performing Arts Mentors: Danielle Aitken, Zeus Chaney-Toms, Eden Kett, Tom Mitchener, Pete Schreiber
- Sports Captains: Hayley Bond, Rosie Mirfin, Aimee Lynch, Alex Honey, Mason Bell, Lawson Inglis
- Arts Captains: Natasha Kerridge, Eve McMillan, Evee Oughton
- International Peer Support: Rahera Marsh-Wetere
- International Student Leaders: Emma Li, Thee Sensai, Shin Seshimo
- Special Ed Captains: Holly Irvine, Connor Thomas, Christiane Leaper, Samantha Watson
- Special Ed Leaders: Sarah Ducray, Ellie McManaway, Jorja Carter, Georgia Livingstone, Fergus Robertson
- Media Captains: Alana Bulmer, Jorja-Rose Oldham
- Diversity Committee: Chloe Dunn, Rebeca Findlay, Athena Mace, Paige Murdoch
- Culture Captains: Katie Hone, Rahera Marsh-Wetere
- Culture Committee: Boston Katene, Myah Lister, Brad Emerson, Tane Scott-Holland
- Environment Captains: Sam Barton, Jacob Evans, Greer McIntyre, Danielle Aitken, Hannah Palmer
- Events Committee: Ellie Taylor – Co-ordinator
- ICT Captains: Tristan Bulmer, Milla Glasgow
Student Well-Being
Waimea College has established an excellent reputation for its commitment to student support provided by teachers, tutors, guidance and non-teaching staff. Our aim is to create students who are resilient and who are able to cope well with the demands of the modern world, but at the same time retaining their natural curiosity and creativity. Every student has the opportunity to receive guidance to plan their course of study, set short and long-term goals and receive assistance in achieving them. The College adopts a firm, fair and consistent approach to managing students’ behaviour within a framework of Restorative Practice and respect for others.
The following are key features of our support network:
- each student belongs to one of four Houses: Cooper, Hillary, Rutherford and Sheppard
- the Houses are divided into a number of Form Groups
- the Form teacher and Tutor are responsible for each student’s pastoral care
- the Tutor follows the year group for all of their five years at Waimea College to provide consistent support throughout this time
- a well-resourced Guidance and Learning Centre where fully trained counsellors, social workers and where access to some health
- services is available for those students requiring additional support
- the support from 24/7 Youth Workers.