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With more than 4000 students across Ōrewa College and Whangaparāoa College, Hibiscus Matters spoke to Ōrewa College principal Wiri Warriner and Whangaparāoa College principal Steve McCracken about their aspirations for 2025.
Warriner, a former Ōrewa College student, has led the school since mid last year. He is focused on strengthening processes to connect with the wider community and provide the best education for students.
The team started 2025 with a welcoming powhiri to set the tone for the year.
“We wanted to prioritise a welcoming mana-enhancing transition for our students, whether they are new to the school or the community. I’m focused on setting the foundation by strengthening the processes that are already here so we can give the best offering to the community. We have had such great feedback from people who have been here for a long time and have their students coming through who are already seeing changes.”
Warriner believes in balancing modern learning with strong foundational teaching.
He says although they are going back to “the bread and butter of teaching and learning” and making sure students have a solid knowledge base, especially in middle school, learners are given more choice and agency at senior levels.
“It’s always very difficult when I ask a student, what do you want to do when you grow up, or what do you want to be? So the best way is to ask, ‘what are your current strengths’?or ‘what things are you really enjoying?’ and try to guide them towards those and see if it aligns to a certain pathway.”
Technology use in schools remains a key issue, and Ōrewa College has embraced the national cellphone ban.
“There’s a real appetite in our community to support this. You see students in the playground talking and engaging in activities instead of looking at screens. The challenge for schools is how to keep that engagement going beyond break times.”
The school’s house system remains a key part of the school’s culture, he says.
“It’s a real cornerstone of the school and I feel like it brings a real sense of connection to the school and the community.”
Ōrewa College also boasts a strong sports programme. Netball, volleyball, rugby and basketball are key priorities, and they’re working hard to provide pathways for students who want to compete at a high level.
“Some of our netball students are already playing for Netball New Zealand.”
The school also supports students in golf, tennis, mixed martial arts and hockey, and is looking to reintroduce cricket.
“We are an outstanding school, we perform well, we always trend above the national averages for NCEA levels 2 and 3. But there’s a lot more work that we can do, and I think it’s around enriching the opportunities we have in place.”
Now in his fourth year as principal, Steve McCracken is proud of Whangaparāoa College’s achievements.
“Last year, we had our best-ever NCEA results for Levels 1, 2 and 3. That’s a credit to our students and staff working hard to maintain those standards.”
With 1950 students, the school is running above capacity, but McCracken believes it reflects the rapid growth of the Hibiscus Coast and the school’s improving standards.
Like Ōrewa College, Whangaparāoa has embraced the cellphone ban.
“It is the best thing that has ever happened – I noticed an overnight change. Previously, it was not very noisy at break times, because students were on their phones. Now it’s hard to even hold a conversation. it’s great because they are talking with each other and interacting, being kids rather than sitting on their phones.”
The school also has a week-long programme at the start of the year to help learners adjust to the school environment.
“We teach them the basics again so when it comes to the second week, they are settled in and ready to learn.”
The school is also expanding its vocational programmes.
“By the end of term one, we hope to have a Building Academy onsite, giving students hands-on experience.”
Sport plays a significant role at Whangaparāoa College, with the school consistently performing well in netball, basketball, rugby and sailing.
“Our netball team is one of the top eight in the country, and we’re fortunate to have ex-Silver Ferns coaching our students, as well as a current Silver Fern, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, on staff,” McCracken says.
Basketball is another key focus, alongside rebuilding the school’s rugby programme. Strong partnerships with Manly Sailing Club and local tag rugby and rugby league teams further enrich the school’s sporting opportunities.
The school has a bilingual te reo Māori unit for Year 10-13 students, offering full tuition.
Despite the rapid changes introduced last year, McCracken takes it in his stride.
“We’ve got 1900 young people with a variety of experiences and beliefs. The managing of young people is always a challenge, but we do that pretty well in terms of trying to be tolerant of differences. Of course, all of the curriculum changes that are on the horizon, are still undecided and undetermined, but I would think every school in the country would be the same.”
The best things parents can do is talk to their children and to the school about NCEA, so they understand what it involves as it’s a complex programme, he says.
With the two schools strengthening their various team sporting activities, Coast families can also look forward to a year of friendly (we hope) rivalry over the next year.
