Waitakere College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · State
- Year levels
- 9–13
- Total roll
- 1,990
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 42 Rathgar Road, Henderson, Auckland
- Territorial authority
- Henderson-Massey Local Board Area
- Phone
- 09-8367890
- secretary@waitakerecollege.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Auckland
Can my child go here?
This school has an enrolment scheme, so a place is not open to every address. How enrolment zones work
Loading zone map…
Zone boundaries shown here are approximate. Ministry of Education data warns these boundaries do not have high spatial precision and can place neighbouring addresses on different sides of a line. This is not a confirmation of enrolment eligibility — always confirm directly with the school. Zone geometry also does not reflect enrolment priority rules (siblings, special character categories, ballots) — it shows the mapped boundary only.
Check if your address is in zone →
Source: Ministry of Education, CC BY 3.0 NZ
What would the day look like?
The practical things this school states on its own website — the hours, the uniform, the term dates, and how children get there. These are the school’s own words, not the Ministry’s record and not ERO’s.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- Uniform
Not stated on the school’s website.
- Getting there
- Bethells: M.O.E route number 1616; Wairere: M.O.E route number 1975
The three routes available to Waitākere College students are: Bethells: M.O.E route number 1616 7.45 am McKay Pl, Bethells Rd, Right into Te Hunga Rd, Left into Scenic Drive via Swanson Rd, Left into Luanda Dr, Right into Waitemata Dr. 8.15 am Stop at Starling Park. Transfer to Scenic Drive Bus (1628), Continue on Waitemata Dr, Left into Swanson Rd, Left into Larnoch Rd, Right into Rathgar Rd, Left into Liston College. Waitākere College students disembark. 3.25 pm Waitākere College, Liston College on Edwards Ave, Left into Rathgar Rd, Pick up at St. Dominics, Right into Swanson Rd via Scenic Dr, Right into Te Hunga Rd, Left into Bethells Rd, Finish at McKay Rd. Wairere: M.O.E route number 1975
- Bethells: M.O.E route number 1616; Wairere: M.O.E route number 1975
- How to enrol
- https://waitakerecollege.school.kiwi/enrolment
For all in-zone and out-of-zone applications please complete [Stage 1](https://waitakerecollege.school.kiwi/enrolment) of the application process and upload the relevant supporting documents and information once prompted:
- https://waitakerecollege.school.kiwi/enrolment
What does the school say about itself?
Quoted, not summarised. Every school describes itself well, so this is here to be read as the school’s own case rather than as a finding — and a school that states nothing simply has no row.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- International students
- Accepted, as stated
This term, we welcomed 12 new international students to Waitākere College, joining us from Chile, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia.
- Accepted, as stated
What is on offer beyond the classroom?
The sports, arts, clubs and groups this school names on its own website. Not a complete list of what any school offers, and not a count — a school that names more here has written more down, which is not the same as doing more.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- On offer
- NETBALL
| NETBALL | VS | RESULT | SCORE | STANDOUT PLAYERS |
- FOOTBALL
| FOOTBALL |
- RUGBY
| RUGBY | VS | RESULT | SCORE | STANDOUT PLAYERS |
- BADMINTON
| BADMINTON | VS | RESULT | SCORE | STANDOUT PLAYERS |
- BASKETBALL
| BASKETBALL | VS | RESULT | SCORE | STANDOUT PLAYERS |
- BOYS HOCKEY
| BOYS HOCKEY |
- GIRLS HOCKEY
| GIRLS HOCKEY |
- Year 9 Netball Academy
- Year 9 Basketball Academy
Year 9 Basketball Academy - Mr Stevens
- Year 9 Football Academy
Year 9 Football Academy - Mr Mulrooney
- Year 9 Rugby Academy
Year 9 Rugby Academy - Mr McGrath
- NETBALL
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 748
- Māori
- 510
- Pacific
- 617
- Asian
- 601
- MELAA
- 91
- Other
- 36
- International
- 11
Roll by year level and age
Shown as context, not ranked, not compared to any average. As at 30 June 2026, from the same annual return as the roll count above.
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 09 | 137 | 134 | 126 | 15 | 10 | 149 | 0 | 450 |
| Year 10 | 133 | 125 | 104 | 16 | 7 | 176 | 0 | 418 |
| Year 11 | 110 | 133 | 125 | 17 | 1 | 178 | 5 | 427 |
| Year 12 | 90 | 118 | 115 | 12 | 3 | 133 | 4 | 377 |
| Year 13+ | 63 | 90 | 100 | 18 | 4 | 111 | 3 | 302 |
| Total | 533 | 600 | 570 | 78 | 25 | 747 | 12 | 1974 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Age 13 | 118 | 109 | 98 | 13 | 7 | 133 | 0 | 368 |
| Age 14 | 126 | 127 | 100 | 17 | 8 | 162 | 0 | 409 |
| Age 15 | 115 | 134 | 124 | 14 | 3 | 183 | 2 | 430 |
| Age 16 | 97 | 116 | 93 | 14 | 2 | 134 | 6 | 360 |
| Age 17 | 59 | 97 | 101 | 13 | 1 | 110 | 3 | 300 |
| Age 18 | 11 | 11 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 72 |
| Age 19+ | 6 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Total | 533 | 600 | 570 | 78 | 25 | 747 | 12 | 1974 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
83%
| Waitakere College | 83% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 90.1% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 88% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 85.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | 80% |
| Māori | 70.2% |
| Pacific | 77.6% |
| Asian | 93.3% |
| MELAA | 95.5% |
| Other | 100% |
| European/Pākehā | 87% |
| Total | 83% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 1 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or above — 2025
78.4%
| Waitakere College | 78.4% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 85.3% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 81% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 81.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 75.3% |
| Māori | 62.3% |
| Pacific | 71.2% |
| Asian | 92.4% |
| MELAA | 90.9% |
| Other | 100% |
| European/Pākehā | 84% |
| Total | 78.4% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 2 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 3 or above — 2025
66%
| Waitakere College | 66% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 71.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 61.8% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 70.2% |
|---|---|
| Male | 61.6% |
| Māori | 39.5% |
| Pacific | 62.4% |
| Asian | 84.8% |
| MELAA | 72.7% |
| Other | 80% |
| European/Pākehā | 71.8% |
| Total | 66% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
21.6%
| Waitakere College | 21.6% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 14.6% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 15.2% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 25.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 17.9% |
| Māori | 19.3% |
| Pacific | 23.2% |
| Asian | 19% |
| MELAA | 27.3% |
| Other | 20% |
| European/Pākehā | 22.9% |
| Total | 21.6% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison Vocational Pathway data (2023-2025)
Retention
Percentage staying until at least 17th birthday — 2025
80.9%
| Waitakere College | 80.9% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 88.9% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 83.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 83.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 78.4% |
| Māori | 64.9% |
| Pacific | 78.4% |
| Asian | 95.2% |
| MELAA | 90.9% |
| Other | 100% |
| European/Pākehā | 81.7% |
| Total | 80.9% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
72.4%
| Waitakere College | 72.4% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 29.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 35.8% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 54.1% |
|---|---|
| Male | 91.5% |
| Māori | 116.1% |
| Pacific | 119.7% |
| Asian | 13.2% |
| Other | 45.6% |
| European/Pākehā | 65.2% |
| Total | 72.4% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison stand-down rates data (2024)
Age-standardised suspension rate per 1,000 students — 2024
3.5%
| Waitakere College | 3.5% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 3% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 4% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 1.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | 5.5% |
| Māori | 8.5% |
| Pacific | 4.2% |
| Asian | 2.2% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 2.6% |
| Total | 3.5% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison suspension rates data (2024)
Age-standardised exclusion rate per 1,000 students — 2024
2%
| Waitakere College | 2% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 1.4% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 1.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 2.7% |
| Māori | 5.5% |
| Pacific | 2.1% |
| Asian | 2.7% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0.8% |
| Total | 2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 480
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- Some students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 31 January 1975
The Equity Index is used by the Ministry to allocate equity funding. It describes the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, not how good the school is. How the Equity Index works
What did ERO find?
The Education Review Office reviews every school and publishes what it finds in full. We quote ERO’s report here, section by section, in ERO’s own words and order, and link to it. We do not summarise a report, pick a line out of one, or turn one into a score. How ERO reviews schools
- Reports ERO holds
- 5
- Last reviewed
- 18 August 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (18 August 2023)
A board assurance statement is the board’s own account of whether it took all reasonable steps to meet its legal obligations, on the date shown. It is not ERO’s finding. ERO reports separately, in the same report, on any non-compliance it identified during that process.
The board assurance report of 18 August 2023 carries no actions-for-compliance section — the section ERO uses when it names non-compliance it identified. That is what this report contains; it is not ERO saying it found none. Other reports ERO holds for this school may say something different.
The roll ERO recorded, and when
ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 1990 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.
February 2017
1299
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 15 May 2017
March 2014
1361
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 30 May 2014
We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 18 August 2023 — “Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
Background
This Profile Report was written within 6 months of the Education Review Office and Waitakere College working in Te Ara Huarau , an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
Waitakere College, in west Auckland, is a large multicultural school catering for students from Years 9 to 13. The school’s vision is centred on Manawanui (perseverance and determination), Mātauranga (knowledge and understanding) and Aroha (care and empathy).
Waitakere College’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
learners at the centre - learners with their whānau are at the centre of education
equitable access to learning – great education opportunities and outcomes are within reach for every learner
quality teaching and leadership – quality teaching and leadership make the difference for learners and their whānau
future of learning and work – learning that is relevant to the lives of New Zealanders today and throughout their lives.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Waitakere College’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how the implementation of literacy strategies accelerate student learning and create equitable outcomes for all.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to further:
support teachers in effectively implementing literacy strategies
raise student achievement, progress and engagement.
The school expects to see increased:
levels of confidence in reading and writing
teachers' expertise in the teaching of literacy
equitable and improved outcomes for all learners.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate how to accelerate student literacy:
leaders and teachers who have high expectations for students’ academic success
welcoming, inclusive, and positive school culture
a broad and comprehensive curriculum that meets a range of students’ interests and needs
a collaborative, reflective and responsive staff with a commitment to seeing improved outcomes for students
strong community partnerships across Te Kahui Akō o Waitākere in raising the literacy of all ākonga .
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
developing staff capacity in the use of effective literacy strategies
raising the profile schoolwide of the importance of literacy skills.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
18 August 2023
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 5 reports ERO holds for this school
ERO reviews a school every few years — around four years between reviews is the usual cycle — so an older date here reflects where a school sits in that cycle, not how it is doing.
Source: Education Review Office, CC BY 4.0.
Roll date: 30 June 2026 (2026).