Waiopehu College

Waiopehu College
Address
Map
74 Bartholomew Road
Levin 5510
New Zealand
Coordinates40°37′49″S 175°17′46″E / 40.63038°S 175.29621°E / -40.63038; 175.29621
Information
Funding typeState
EstablishedFebruary 1973 (February 1973)
Ministry of Education Institution no.237
ChairpersonJenny Warren
PrincipalGuy Reichenbach
Years offered9–13
GenderCoeducational
School roll581[1] (August 2024)
Websitewww.waiopehu.ac.nz

Waiopehu College is a state coeducational secondary school located in Levin, New Zealand. The school opened in February 1973 as Levin's second secondary school, after Horowhenua College struggled to cope with 1200 students.[2] Serving Years 9 to 13 (ages 13 to 18), the school has a roll of 581 students as of August 2024.[1]

The original school buildings were built to the Education Department's S68 design: single-storey classroom blocks of cinderblock or masonry construction, with low-pitched roofs and internal open courtyards. The college was one of many that had problems with leaking roofs in the 1990s and 2000s due to the S68's roof design.[3] In 2014 the school opened a purpose-built teen parent unit.[4] The building won an award in the 'education' category at the 2015 New Zealand Institute of Architects Awards.[5][6] In 2016 a new special needs unit was opened.[7]

  1. ^ a b "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  2. ^ Swarbrick, Nancy (16 November 2012). "First day at Waiopehu College - Numbers and types of schools - Primary and secondary education". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  3. ^ Hill, Marika (5 July 2010). "Leaking roofs hit region's schools". Stuff. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  4. ^ Townend, Lucy (27 January 2014). "Second chance for young mothers". Stuff. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  5. ^ "He Whare Manaaki Tangata: Teen Parent Unit at Waiopehu College". NZ Institute of Architects. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  6. ^ "He Whare Manaaki Tangata". McKenzie Higham Architects. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  7. ^ Tuckey, Karoline (22 June 2016). "New architecture embraces inclusive unit at Waiopehu College". Stuff. Retrieved 10 May 2023.