Otamatea High School was established in 1966. We are a rural year 7 to 13, co-educational, state high school situated in the beautiful, rural township of Maungaturoto.
Our 660 students travel from far and wide to be here; from Kaiwaka, Maungaturoto, Paparoa, Mangawhai, Waipu, Matakohe, Ruakaka and Tinopai. At Otamatea High School we offer a broad curriculum for all of our students. Although we are a high school, our year 7 and 8 students are served well, by having a homeroom teacher who teaches them for more than one curriculum area, as well as having subject specialists is science, technology, te reo Māori, the arts, languages, health and physical education.
Otamatea is named after the ancestor Tamatea-Pōkai-Whenua who came from Hawaiiki on the waka Tākitimu. He was an adventurer and a traveller (his name translates to “Tamatea who encircled the land”).
Otamatea High School strives to be a culturally responsive,as well as a culturally sustainable, kura and we are committed to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
School Vision
Our school vision, ‘Ready for the World’- 'Kia mataara ki te Ao', aims at preparing our students for the challenges of a rapidly changing world of tomorrow. Our whakatauki ‘He waka eke noa’ represents the clear message that each member of our school community has a role to play in preparing our students for the future: students themselves, staff, family and whānau, and our community. It helps nurture a culture of support and builds resilience. As a culturally responsive, restorative school, we have worked hard to create a warm, welcoming culture at Otamatea High School. The tikanga of our school is best described within our whakatauki where we have used the 'WAKA' to describe the values upon which we stand as a school:
W - Whanaungatanga: Respectful relationships, caring about each other as if we are whānau.
A - Ako: Reciprocal learning. We are all learning, in and out of the classroom, and we can all teach something to others.
K - Kaitiakitanga: Guardianship of our place, our environment and our selves (well being)
A - Aroha: 'Aro' meaning to focus and 'ha' meaning a breath or life force. Are you focussing the best of yourself towards those around you? Aroha also symbolises the empathy and care we have for each other.
In 2022 we completed the development of our new cross curricular programmes for year 9s. All students now learn their subject areas through the lens of four umbrella topics designed to help students see the relevance of what they are doing, and to make connections with their other subject areas. These umbrella topics are Discovering the Pacific, Gadgets and Inventions, Pandemics, and the Kaipara. Our year 10 programmes are currently being updated to prepare students for the NCEA changes that are being introduced in 2024.
Our senior students follow NCEA programmes in a wide range of subjects with over 60 different courses on offer through NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 as well as providing distance learning opportunities to students through the Kura, the correspondence school. Senior students can also complete courses outside school, gain valuable work experience, and work towards national qualifications at the same time. Through our self-directed Pathways programme senior students also have the option of working independently in an area of their choice while simultaneously gaining work experience through the Gateway programme. We also have three successful academies – construction, hospitality and primary industries.
Activities Within the School
It is not just in the academic arena where our students excel. We encourage all of our students to become involved in extra-curricular life of the school through a variety of activities including sporting, cultural, and the arts. Our Reporoa student exchange programme which is now in its 57th year is thought to be the longest running senior student exchange programme in the country. As well as playing for school teams many of our students play representative sport at regional, national and international level.
Flagships of the school include the Duke of Edinburgh programme where students are supported to work towards and complete their Gold Hillary Award, the William Pike Challenge for Year 7 and 8 students, our incredible kapa haka roopu, our annual Olla Podriga talent quest competition, the Smokefree Rockquest competition, and our annual participation in the Relay for Life fundraising event. Our inter-iwi competitions, run during school time, cater for all our students: athletics, swimming, cross country, triathlon, the road race, unihoc, football, basketball, netball, rippa rugby, debating, the arts challenge, the haka and waita competition, mathex, chess, the “My Iwi rules” cooking competition, and the quiz. Our school Health Council, ‘OTA Kaihoe’ is an initiative led by a group of students who are particularly passionate about ensuring that wellbeing and resilience are prioritised at the school.
We are very proud of the many and varied achievements of Otamatea High School students, and the staff who provide the excellent conditions which enable this success.