Te Urutanga Mai | Enrolment
We look forward to meeting with you and your child to discuss the excellent education and sense of community that Tamatea High School has to offer.
2025 Enrolment
Please contact the office on +64 6 844 6600 or email enquiries@tamatea.school.nz for an enrolment application if you wish to apply for a place in 2025.
What are the school hours?
Our school day starts at 9.00am every weekday during the school terms. School finishes at 3.15pm except on Wednesdays when the day concludes at 2.25pm.
Is Tamatea High School zoned?
No, we accept enrolments from students all over Napier.
What's it going to cost me?
Tamatea High School is a fees-free school! We want learning to be as accessible as possible.
There is a Sports contribution of $50 per student for the year, entitling those students (who wish to do so) to play up to two summer and two winter sports. We cover most of the cost for sport.
As in all schools, stationery, uniform and some additional activities are on a ‘user pays’ basis. This usually means overnight trips have an additional cost.
How big are the classes?
In years 9 and 10 we aim to have no more than 24 students in each class. Each student is also part of a Whānau Group and within that Whānau Group they are part of a 1:12 teacher/student ratio. There are students from every year level in each Whānau Group which means our senior students work with and support our junior students.
Homework?
John Hattie's research has shown that targeted, meaningful work that is marked by the teacher has a positive impact on learning. His research also showed that untargeted worksheets and 'Complete numbers 15-35 on page 29 for homework' have a negative impact on learning. Especially when it creates pressure from parents who think homework will help their tamaiti, but the child knows it's keeping them busy but not improving their learning. We would rather give homework that is short, sharp and meaningful.
Having said that, seniors especially, will need to dedicate time to work on internal assessments in their own time to meet deadlines.
What are the facilities like?
We have modern and engaging classrooms with school-wide wifi, attractive, well-cared for grounds and a community gymnasium that is always in use. Our laboratories, workshop, digital technology, art and food prep facilities are top notch and our ākonga love using them to engage in the full gambit of practical learning activities.
What sports are available at Tamatea High School?
Depending on demand, we offer Rugby, Orienteering, Athletics, Waka Ama, Netball, Badminton, Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Squash, Touch Rugby, Hockey, Tennis, Triathlon, Cross Country and Kī-o-rahi. Joining William Colenso College for some sports means that we can be very competitive in the sports and grades we participate in. We also ensure that our ākonga are considered for regional representative teams.
Is there a place for a child who likes Music, Art and Performance?
Yes, performing arts and creativity are important to our school life. We offer free instruction in many instruments (like guitar, bass, drums, piano, ukelele, violin, voice coaching and others as required). Our ākonga can also take Hip Hop Dance and Kapa Haka (Māori Performing Arts) as a junior and senior subject. Performances in assembly, in the community and in regional and national competitions occur annually.
If this is a small school, will my child get lots of opportunities?
Our ākonga tell us that one of the advantages of a smaller school is you don't miss out on opportunities. For example, instead of 20 students wanting to apply for an Outward Bound course, we might only have two, so both can go. When opportunities arise, our Head of Careers works closely with our Deans and Whānau Group Teachers to identify ākonga who would benefit most. We also ensure that finance is no barrier to our students. Over the years we have had students visit China, sail on the Spirit of Adventure, attend Leadership Camps, participate in the Youth Parliament and Youth Council, in Rockquest and in Manu Kōrero nationals.
How would your school prepare my child for the world?
Our vision is 'E tipu e rea, ka tipu koe hei tangata' - ‘Growing good people for a changing world’. We're focused on strong academic achievement, but we also place a high emphasis on values like participation, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence. We highlight behaviours that demonstrate these values which are important in life and the workplace - like getting along with people. We have a Life Readiness Programme where our students learn about things like financial literacy, changing a car tire and checking the engine oil, and how to be careful using the internet. One of our school goals is creating meaningful pathways for our school leavers so our job is not done until ākonga have a pathway to university or EIT, a training course or starting a job. NCEA results are important but that's not the only thing we emphasize - we're committed to educating the whole person.
