Waitākere College
School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Waitākere College is a state coeducational secondary school located in Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand, established in 1975. A total of 1,951 students from Years 9 to 13 (ages 13 to 18) attend Waitākere College as of October 2025.[1]
| Waitākere College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 36°52′2″S 174°37′15″E |
| Information | |
| Type | State, Co-educational, Secondary School (Year 9–13) |
| Motto | Achievement for All |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 44 |
| Principal | Mark Shanahan |
| Enrollment | 1,951[1] (October 2025) |
| Socio-economic decile | 3I[2] |
| Website | waitakerecollege.school.nz |
Students entering the college are allocated into one of three "Houses". The house names use Māori words: Aroha (Love), Manawanui (Perseverance), and Matauranga (Knowledge).[3]
Waitākere College offers an extra 'Performing Arts' subject formerly run by Stephen Nightingale. Entry is based on an audition process and the course runs for years 9 and 10. It covers drama, dance, music, singing, theatre, film/television, editing, theatre lighting, make-up and costume.
Waitākere College is often used as a filming location for the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, as the location of Ferndale High School.[4]
Enrolment
As of October 2025, Waitākere College has a roll of 1,951 students, of which 512 (26.2%) identify as Māori.[1]
As of 2026, the school has an Equity Index of 480,[5] placing it amongst schools whose students have above average socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 4 and 5 under the former socio-economic decile system).[6]
Notable alumni
- Shayne Elliott (born 1963/64), New Zealand banker, CEO of ANZ Bank.[7]
- Sione Lauaki (1981–2017), All Black[8]
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