Waihi School
ALLAN SHORT, HEADMASTER
AT WAIHI SCHOOL, WE TAKE
great pride in our history and traditions. Each generation has written their own stories ‘Behind the Hedge’, from the first three boys arriving in 1907, to the introduction of day boys almost a century later. In 2021, we were excited to create a new chapter in our history book as we became coeducational for the first time.
In the past 114 years six girls, all daughters of Headmasters, had been educated at Waihi and we were proud to welcome our ‘foundation girls’ last year. These first five courageous young people added their strength and character to our proud Waihi whānau and took up every opportunity presented to them. In the last 12 months Waihi enrolments have grown by over 20 per cent and the school is thriving with boys and girls together enjoying all the school has to offer.
Our school has been shaped by strong values and the rural boarding experience that we offer. We understand the formative years of your child’s education are extremely important. The experiences, values and challenges that are presented to them at this stage of their development are fundamental in helping to shape and determine their character, dispositions, and future pathways.
This is a wonderfully exciting time for the future of Waihi. The school continually punches above its weight; in the classroom and on the sports field as a result of a focus on teaching with pride, passion and positive expectations, together with pastoral care that puts the individual at the centre of all we do.
Our well-established weekly Outdoor Education programme, using both bespoke on-site facilities and our wonderful and diverse South Canterbury environment, is a favourite of our students, helping to build individual character, ignite curiosity and develop skills outside of the norm.
We invite you and your family to come and visit our unique school to see how we nurture individual success, with opportunity to learn, challenge and grow as individuals. Look through our website to gain an insight into what Waihi can offer your child and family. I especially encourage your family to come and visit us on-site, to gain a ‘real’ sense of the possibilities that are on offer for your daughter or son at our incredibly special school.