Principal’s welcome

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai ki te kura tuarua o Hokitika ko Westland High School.

Situated on the beautiful and majestic West Coast and from its modest origins in 1880 as the first State school in the region, to the establishment of the Hokitika High School Board in 1884 and the merger to become Hokitika District School 1891, the now named Westland High School (1963) has a proud history of providing education to Hokitika and surrounding communities.

The current Board has high expectations and aspires to the goals of educational excellence and culturally inclusive practice. It acknowledges our commitment to the bi-cultural partnership established by Te Tiriti o Waitangi which is served through our acknowledgement of mana whenua through the runanga of Ngāti Waewae and Kāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio. 

We acknowledge that excellence in education provides the opportunity for our rangatahi/students to realize their potential through a determined and persistent effort to achieve success. Nothing worth achieving comes without effort – an ethic that is manifest in the identity of the Coast. As such, we work hard to build resilience and a belief in each student of their capacity to achieve success that enables a positive future for themselves, their family, hapu, iwi and our communities.

‘Big Picture Schooling’ is the overarching concept developed to articulate the High School’s curriculum. Three concepts underpin this vision linked to the head, heart and hands, encompassing achievement, shared values and contribution. The High School demonstrates an inclusive and open environment underpinned by positive and reciprocal relationships.

We are identified as a school embracing BYOD with the affordances of a digital world contributing to achieving student results that are above the national average for schools like us. We leverage off our spectacular natural environment which uniquely supports outdoor experiences that are rich veins for personal growth, building student resilience and creating a life-long passion for our region. 

We have clear ambitions to provide excellent fundamental educational opportunities to our students with clear post-secondary pathways for all, whether that be into tertiary education, further study, the trades and apprenticeships or the world of work. Success in the 21st Century is experienced in a wide variety of forms centered on realizing the unique potential and passion of each student.

I invite you to engage with us in the exciting journey of educational change and development that the future holds for New Zealand schools as we prepare our students, as leaders of the future, to innovate, navigate and contribute to the world and this special part of Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

Nic Richards
Principal