INTRODUCTION
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF HNHS
Havelock North High School is a State Secondary ( Co-educational ) school which opened in 1975 with a roll of 740 . The main contributing school is Havelock North Intermediate , but students are also enrolled from a number of other contributing schools . The roll grew steadily
to a peak of 1200 in 1987 however , there was a period of decline due to demographic and other factors . Steady growth of the roll has been experienced in the last nine years to 1108 students . While predictions are that this roll may continue to grow , it is important that we are able to maintain a keen individual focus on each individual student . An enrolment scheme was implemented in 2020 in an attempt to manage roll growth .
The ethnic composition of the school population shows approximately 18 % Mäori . Around 20 % of students live in the rural area and settlements around Havelock North .
In 2022 , HNHS was assigned the Equity Index value of 432 reflecting the bi-modal population . As the only state school in town we take in students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds .
Parents hold high expectations of the school . These are expressed in a concern for achievement , in both the areas of academic scholarship and the mastery of basic skills of numeracy and literacy , in sport and in cultural activities . The retention rate of students is relatively high with close to 100 % staying to Year 12 and Year 13 consistently reaching 70 + % of the Year 9 cohort . Reasons for this are varied , but include : the large number of high ability students seeking to gain entry to tertiary education , the operation of a variety of alternative and transition programmes that are attractive to students who might otherwise leave school , and the breadth and flexibility of the curriculum which meets all the course demands that students may have . Students overwhelmingly report that they enjoy school as evidenced each year in the Year 13 Leavers ’ Survey .
At all levels of the school , students have a range of subjects from which to make a choice , so that their courses are tailored to their individual needs and talents . Opportunity exists for students to work simultaneously at different levels and also to supplement courses with STAR programmes .