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Ōpōtiki College is located in the sunny Eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of Aotearoa.

Its beautiful beaches are fed by several rivers flowing out of the surrounding bush-covered mountains. With easy access to the beautiful natural resources and the town settlement of Ōpōtiki, it is a wonderful place to live. Maori culture and values are evident throughout our community and College. Living and being educated in Ōpōtiki provides opportunities to experience the indigenous culture of New Zealand.

We believe a strength of our College is our relatively small size. We have approximately 400 tauira which allow us to know our tauira as individuals and to be able to cater for their needs. As well, our emphasis on biculturalism ensures our school is a place where all belong and feel valued. This bicultural ethos has resulted in a sensitivity and appreciation of diversity.

Address: Cnr St John and Bridge Streets, Ōpōtiki.

Nau mai, haere mai ki te paetukutuku o Te Kāreti o Ōpōtiki.

Welcome to the Ōpōtiki College website.

We are a College with a proud history. We have learnt so much as a school community from the impacts of COVID and we are excited by the new initiatives that our school will pursue in the near future. The rebuild for our new school starts in 2023.

As a College we work in close partnership with our local iwi, Te Whakatōhea. We take pride in knowing that we are a whānau and community driven school. Academic achievement, vocational pathways, growing leadership capabilities and students’ wellbeing are at the forefront of all that we do. We provide students with learning opportunities which empowers them to gain new knowledge and to be solution focused in an authentic environment. Student wellbeing and care is at the heart of all pastoral decisions. Their social, emotional and health needs are met through some deep understanding that our rangatahi of today face significant challenges.

We strive for our students to be “Connected Learners, Confident Citizens: Tohenihorau, Toherauariki”. We are committed to grow a strong sense of cultural and personal identity within our students and to uphold values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience: Me Māhaki, Me Ngākau Titikaha, Me Tohetoa.

Respect for others begins with respect for oneself. Taking responsibility for one’s own learning helps to grow independent learners. We support students to be resilient and to find ways to rise above adversities. Staff at Ōpōtiki College are dedicated professionals who will go the extra mile to support students learning and success.

When you come to Ōpōtiki College you will join a whānau who is supportive and will share values that will help you to succeed in education in the 21st century and to thrive beyond the school gates.

Mrs Terehia Channings
Principal
Ōpōtiki College

What's happening at Ōpōtiki College?

Upcoming Events in May

Fri 30

Newsletter Issued

30 May 2025

Latest Notices

CAA's Info

19 May 2025

16 May 2025

Kia ora e te whānau,

Ōpōtiki College will be running two sessions of the NCEA Level 1 Literacy (Reading and Writing) and Numeracy (Maths and Statistics) Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) exams These assessments will take place in the school hall during school hours.

Session 1: Tuesday 27 May – Friday 30 May
Session 2: Monday 25 August – Friday 5 September (Term 3
Letters were sent home last week, informing students if they have the opportunity to sit the first session of the exams. Only a small number of students have been assessed as ready to sit the exams in term 2, all other students will be sitting the exams in Term 3.

If your young person received a letter that they are not sitting the Session one exams, this may be because:

They are in Year 11, and all Year 11 students will sit the Session 2 exams in Term 3,

They are in Year 10, and based on in-class testing data, it has been determined that they would benefit from additional learning time before attempting the exams, or

They are in Year 12 or 13 and have already achieved their NCEA Literacy and Numeracy requirements, so they do not need to sit the CAAs.
Achieving success in the Literacy and Numeracy CAAs allows students to gain the 10 Literacy credits and 10 Numeracy credits required for the formal awarding of NCEA at any level. Please come along to the NCEA information evening Wednesday 13 May 4.30pm in the Hall to learn more!

If you would like your young person to sit the exams or you have any questions, please contact:

Ms Marcella Gleeson – Curriculum Leader of Mathematics
marcellag@opotikicol.school.nz

Meet and Greet

14 May 2025

Kia ora koutou

Just a reminder regarding the Meet and Greet, NCEA Info Evening on Wednesday 14th (tonight), 4.30 - 6pm. Info below.

It would be great if all staff who have a Year 10-13 KT attend this evening. Thanks!

Note: Whanau will be advised to go to the hall, from there we will direct them as to different house locations

4.30pm: Whānau arrive in the hall. Andrew gives a short intro to the evening and a quick overview of the house system.
4.40pm: Whānau then split into house groups and head to their spaces with Kaitakiwānanga:
D Block – Taitoa - Fiona
Te Ahurutanga – Maurua - Roimata
Hall – Manatau - Hamish
In house spaces, Kaitakiwānanga presents an overview of KT (approx. 5 slides) including activities, haka, tracking, celebration, etc. Then each KT introduces themselves with one slide.
5.00pm: Everyone returns to the hall for the NCEA overview (Andrew – 20 mins), followed by the CAA Numeracy/Literacy presentation (Marcella – 10 mins).
5.30pm: Kai!
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Nāku noa, nā

Marcella Gleeson

Health Survey

7 May 2025

At Ōpōtiki College, we are committed to providing a Health Education programme that aligns with the New Zealand Ministry of Education curriculum and meets the needs of our students and community. We value your input and invite you to complete this short survey to help us shape our health curriculum. Your feedback will ensure that we are providing relevant and appropriate learning experiences for our students.

Please complete this survey.