Whangaparāoa College

Whangaparāoa College
Māori: *Kāreti o Whangaparāoa*
Whangaparāoa College; Māori: Kāreti o Whangaparāoa
Address
	8 Stanmore Bay Rd, Stanmore Bay, Whangaparāoa, Auckland, New Zealand
Coordinates	36°37′54″S 174°44′44″E / 36.6317°S 174.7455°E
Information
Type	Non-Integrated co-ed, Composite (Year 7–13)
Motto	Together, Believe, Achieve (Ngatahi, Whakapono, Tutuki)
Established	28 January 2005; 19 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no.	6763
Principal	Steve McCracken
School roll	1803 (August 2024)
Colour(s)	Blue; Green;
Socio-economic decile	9Q
Former names	Stanmore Bay Secondary School; Hibiscus Coast Intermediate School;
Website	wgpcollege.school.nz

Whangaparāoa College is a co-educational state secondary school on the Hibiscus Coast of New Zealand. The school has a roll of 1803^[2] students from Years 7 to 13 (as of August 2024), including international students.

History

Prior to the opening of Whangaparāoa College, Orewa College was the sole secondary school operating on the Hibiscus Coast.^[4] Hibiscus Coast Intermediate School operated on the site now occupied by Whangaparāoa College. ^[5]

Announced in 2003,^[4] and initially named Stanmore Bay Secondary School,^[6] Whangaparāoa College opened on 28 January 2005 (19 years ago) (2005-01-28)^[5] absorbing Hibiscus Coast Intermediate School.^[5] Brian O'Connell served as founding principal until 2012.^[7]

As one of serveral modern high schools to open in the early 2000s alongside Botany Downs Secondary College and Alfriston College,^[8] the school's facilities and technology used are leaders in the New Zealand education system,^[8] being only the third new high school to open since 1981.^[9] Whangaparāoa College positions itself as an environmentally aware site. ^[10]

Following O'Connell's departure, James Thomas served as principal from 2012.^[11] In mid-2021, Steve McCracken took over as principal.^[12]

Demographics

At the school's latest Education Review Office review in 2016,^[13] Whangaparāoa College had 1285 students enrolled. Fifty-two percent of students were female and forty-eight percent were male. Seventy-eight percent of students identified as European New Zealanders (Pākehā), ten percent as Māori, four percent as Asian, two percent as Pasifika, and six percent as another ethnicity.^[13]

Whangaparāoa College has an equity index rating of 446^[14], and a socioeconomic decile 9^[15] (step Q), meaning it draws its school community from areas of high socioeconomic status when compared to other New Zealand schools.