Rolleston College

Rolleston College is the first secondary school in New Zealand’s fastest growing town.

Facts and figures

Current roll 200
Current roll capacity 1100
Construction began July 2015
Construction complete January 2017
Architect ASC Architects
Builder Hawkins Construction
Opened January 2017

The new school caters to Year 9-13 students with a current roll of 221 Year 9 students. Built to meet the demand of a growing population, the school expects 1040 students by 2021.

The bright, airy spaces have room for up to 1100 students to learn comfortably, with provision for additional space in the future of up to 1800 students.

Rolleston College Interior

These spaces include open areas for collaborative learning and quiet spaces for independent learning, as well as:

  • a 500-seat theatre
  • a whare
  • a multipurpose gymnasium
  • an automotive workshop
  • dance and music studios
  • media, arts, resource and reading spaces.

The 6.4 hectare site also includes a double classroom for a satellite unit of Waitaha School. This has room for up to 16 special education students.

Rolleston College Exterior

Rolleston College is one of 4 schools built as part of the Ministry of Education’s second public private partnership (PPP). This means that a private partner is responsible for designing, building, financing and maintaining the school property for the term of the contract (25 years from the opening of the final school).

Together, development of the four schools, Rolleston College, Haeata Community Campus, Wakatipu High School and Ormiston Junior College, will cost $298 million. Future Schools Partners has been contracted to deliver and maintain these modern and innovative new buildings while staff at Rolleston College are free to focus on teaching and learning.

Rolleston College Principal, Stephen Saville

Horoeka Haemata (the flourishing lancewood)

Te Taumutu rūnanga gifted the school name Horoeka Haemata (the flourishing lancewood) to the board of Rolleston College. Lancewoods are unique trees that change dramatically as they mature — a symbolic idea that has been incorporated into the school vision.

Currently there are 221 students in Year 9. The school is made up of four whanau, with 50 students in each, and each whanau has its own space in the school where they start the day.

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