Riccarton High School
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| Riccarton High School | |
|---|---|
Māori: Te Kura Tuarua o Pūtaringamotu | |
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
31 Vicki Street, Sockburn, Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| Coordinates | 43°32′10″S 172°33′53″E / 43.53611°S 172.56472°E |
| Information | |
| Type | State co-educational secondary (Year 9–13) |
| Motto | Disce ut Prosis Learn that you may be of service |
| Established | 1958 |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 334 |
| Chairperson | Janine Ogier |
| Principal | Mr Neil Haywood |
| Enrollment | 1,112[1] (October 2025) |
| Socio-economic decile | 6N[2] |
| Website | riccarton.school.nz |
Riccarton High School (Māori: Te Kura Tuarua o Pūtaringamotu) is a state co-educational secondary school located in Upper Riccarton, a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. With a roll of 1,112 students,[1] it is one of the five largest secondary schools in Christchurch.
The Government purchased the 25-acre (10 ha) site for the school in September 1954. The site had previously been proposed for a textile mill, but was sold after the owner abandoned its proposal.[3]
In January 1956, the Christchurch Post-primary Schools' Council agreed to establish a high school in western Christchurch. The council originally decided to develop Burnside High School first; the Riccarton site was disfavoured due to proximity to an industrial area, the Wigram Aerodrome and main arterial roads.[4] A deputation of eight primary schools, Wharenui, Ilam, Riccarton, Sockburn, Hornby, Yaldhurst, Templeton and West Melton, urged the council to reconsider its decision and develop the Riccarton site first.[5] On 1 May 1956, the council agreed to develop Riccarton High School ahead of Burnside High School.[6]
The school opened on 4 February 1958 with an initial roll of 140 third-form (now Year 9) students,[7] Other years were added as the 1958 third-form cohort moved through, with the school opening to all year levels in 1962. The school's roll increased over time, reaching its height in 1974 when it had some 1,149 pupils on its books. With the opening of Hornby High School in 1976, Riccarton's roll began to drop. The lowest roll since 1974 was in 1986 when the school had dropped to just 612 pupils. Since then, the school has increased its numbers, stabilising at about 950 pupils a year.
Enrolment
As of October 2025, Riccarton High School has roll of 1,112 students, of which 116 (10.4%) identify as Māori.[1]
As of 2025, the school has an Equity Index of 442,[8] placing it amongst schools whose students have below average socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to decile 7 under the former socio-economic decile system).[9]
Academics
As a state school, Riccarton High School follows the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). In Years 11 to 13, students complete the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), the main secondary school qualification in New Zealand.[10]
Sport, music and culture
Riccarton High School has two sister schools in Japan. They are Takefu Higashi High School senior school in the Fukui Prefecture and Sakai Machi in Gunma Prefecture.[11]