Whakatāne High School


Whakatāne High School is a secondary school located in the town of Whakatāne, New Zealand. As of 2025, the school has a roll of over 1200 students and aims to offer every student an equal opportunity to succeed with strong values around responsibility, respect and achievement. Whakatāne High School has a 100-year history as a co-educational public high school, opening in 1920 as Whakatane District High School, becoming a full high school in 1950. The school held its centennial on 2–3 April 2021, postponed from 2020.
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History

Whakatāne High School is over a century old, opening in 1920 as Whakatane District High School, becoming a full high school in 1950. In 1973, as the population of Whakatāne neared 10,000, Trident High School was opened.

Facilities and buildings

The school consists of a field, gymnasium, school & student office, Careers Centre, the Barclay Hall, a library, and numerous buildings split into blocks including: N block, T Block, B Block, A block, C Block and L Block.

Students

As of the 1st of July 2023, the total school roll was 1067 students. 62.76% of the students are European / Pākehā, 46.33% are Māori, 2.53% are Pacific, 4.98% identify as Asian, 0.87% are classified as MELAA, and 1.22% are registered as Other. There are 39 international students as of the first of July, 2023.

Houses

Students at Whakatāne High School are split into one of four houses. Each house is named after a tree that is native to New Zealand. Students compete in school-related sporting and cultural events to win points for their house. At the end of the year, the house with the largest number of points is named champion for that year. The houses are represented by a colour and are listed below:

Notable alumni