Our Vision

Empowering learners towards their future success, Kia eke te tauira ki toona kairangitanga

We do this by:
• Providing opportunities
• Encouraging participation
• Expecting effort
• Promoting success
• Celebrating excellence

Our Motto

Titiro Teitei (Look High)
The school motto means to look high and can be interpreted as urging the school community, staff and students to aim high in all they do. It encourages them to aim for excellence in achieving their personal best. It implies that effort in application can produce excellence in achievement. We have the highest expectations for all our students and in doing so, enable them to focus their effort on their own personal excellence.

Expectations, effort, excellence!

We expect everyone in our community to be effective local and global citizens with the necessary character, competence and confidence for present and future success.

About Us

Waiuku College is a co-educational high school for Years 9-13 with approximately 1,000 students.

The College caters for students from Waiuku township and the wider rural community, an area of approximately 16,000 people. It also includes the communities of Pukeoware, Aka Aka, Otaua, Glenbrook, Waipipi, Awhitu and Waiau Pa. About 40% of students come to school by bus from these surrounding rural communities.

A strong partnership exists between Waiuku College parents and the wider community. Our college acknowledges Ngati Te Ata as Tangata Whenua in the district and incorporates the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi to work in partnership to promote the interests of Maaori students and the wider community.

Our school motto is a Maaori expression, Titiro Teitei which exhorts us to Aim High in all we do in terms of expectations, effort and excellence. Our students achieve highly in a wide range of areas, particularly academically with consistently high pass rates compared nationally. The numbers of students gaining NCEA with Merit or Excellence and scholarships are a perpetual focus.

Another of our strengths is the strong links we have with our parents, our town of Waiuku and our wider West Franklin community. The help and support they give the college is a wonderful advantage we have for our students.

We are fortunate to live amongst such an attractive rural and farming environment with wild West Coast beaches, the meandering Waikato River and the wide-open Manukau Harbour all only minutes from our school, and of course, we are nestled in the heart of the scenic and historic Waiuku township.

Our Whaanau

Awaroa

Awaroa House acknowledges

  • Awaroa ki Waikato
  • The Ngaio tree and name of where the Awaroa and Waikato rivers meet
  • The Southern cross
  • Port Waikato hills
  • The green wetlands of Akaaka and Otaua
  • The koru which represents new life and growth
Kaiwaka

Kaiwaka House acknowledges

  • Te pae ō kaiwaka (The Ancient Waka portage trail)
  • The many waka that traversed Kaiwaka
  • The yellow sun rising in the east
  • Purapura hills descending into the Akaaka plains
  • Tīkouka / Cabbage Tree common to wetlands
  • The koru which represents new life and growth
Maanukanuka

Maanukanuka House acknowledges

  • Maanukanuka ō Hoturoa (Hoturoa – the captain of Tainui Waka)
  • The blue waters of the Manukau Harbour
  • View from Wairau (Awhitu Regional Park)
  • Kauritutahi Island
  • The Pohutukawa tree common around the harbour
  • The koru which represents new life and growth
Rehua 

Rehua House acknowledges

  • Te tai ō Rehua (Tasman Ocean)
  • Rukuwai Pā on the high ground to the right
  • Trail/road to Karioitahi Beach
  • Harakeke plant common along the coast
  • The red sun setting in the west
  • The koru which represents new life and growth

Our Values

Whanaungatanga 
  • Whanāungatanga is symbolized by three main bodies of water (the Manukau Harbour, the Waikato River and Te Tai o Rehua (the West Coast).  Each of the waterways has its own diverse features and spiritual essence.
  • In the image the waterways are interwoven, symbolizing people coming together as one.
  • Whanāungatanga is about relationship, kinship and a sense of belonging.  It is about working together and being inclusive of all diversities.
Whakaute
  • The moko kauae represents Whakaute (respect, and appreciation).
  • The lips represent the Maunga and Moana of the land.
  • The two manu in the middle represent the two Marae in Waiuku (Tahuna & Rererewhioi) but also the Kahu Pokere and the Whioi birds – both significant Tuupuna birds in this area.
  • The tohu as a whole represents the strong women that have come from Ngaati Te Ata, and their leadership.
Korowai Manaaki
  • Korowai Manaaki is represented through our whenua, moana, awa, the westerly winds, ancestral pathways and culturally significant features in and around our Waiuku Area.
  • It acknowledges the importance of protecting our environment, the atmosphere, sustainability, whānau, good relationships and our physical wellbeing.
  • Korowai Manaaki is our collective responsibility as caretakers of Papatuānuku, our environment and our people.
Manawanui 
  • Manawanui acknowledges the Kuaka (Godwit bird), the Koru, and the Ara Poutama / Stairway design.
  • The Kuaka works with others in the flock to complete its long journey flying across the Pacific Ocean to Aotearoa. This bird is a taonga (Treasure) that arrives at Tahuna Kaitoto (Sandspit Beach) in Waiuku around September every year. Whilst small in presence, the Kuaka represents determination and resilience.
  • The large koru on the Kuaka’s tail represent self motivation to believe in yourself and to keep moving towards the next goal on the horizon. The small koru under the Kuaka’s wing represent the many new challenges in life and personal growth when a person steps outside their comfort zone.
  • On the top edge of the Kuaka’s wings are two connecting koru which represent the heart and perseverance one needs to be resilient. The bottom edge of the Kuaka’s wings represents the steps one takes to achieve their goals.
  • The Ara Poutama design in the background represents the stairway to success and the many pathways one can pursue to attain skills, knowledge, and opportunities in life. This design also connects to the Pou at the front of the Waiuku College Whare Maatoro and the stories that relate to the pursuit of excellence and knowledge.

The design was created by Art Teacher Rebecca Isemonger and student Lyric Ellis- Mihinnick with story-telling and narrative from Matua Selwyn, Henry, and Whaea Rhema.