Tēnā koutou katoa,
I am delighted to begin this pānui by celebrating the incredible progress we are making together at Waiheke High School. Our recent data reveals that our collective efforts to prioritize learning and excellence are yielding real results for our students. Most notably, during term 2 we have seen a significant 9% jump in regular attendance (90%+) compared to term 2 last year – consolidating the major improvements across term 1. We are also seeing a much higher rate of Merit and Excellence grades in NCEA, which we directly associate with this improvement in attendance along with strong messaging from staff around their high expectations for our very capable students. These positive gains are evidence that our school is moving in the right direction and that we are achieving our vision of being the best we can be for our community.
To sustain this momentum and ensure every student continues to thrive, we need your ongoing help and support. While we celebrate these successes, we must also acknowledge that the landscape of education funding in New Zealand currently faces significant systemic shortfalls as I’ve touched on in some recent newsletters. Our core purpose remains a commitment to outstanding learning and the belief that every student has the potential for individual excellence, yet the cost of providing this high-quality, holistic education continues to rise beyond the increases provided in recent government budgets. We have been careful to reduce expenditure while protecting vital resources like teacher aides, but further support is essential to maintain and build upon the gains that we have made over the past few years.
In order to maintain the high standards we hold for our students and ensure our teaching staff have the resources they need to help every learner excel, the Board of Trustees has conducted a thorough review of our school donation, which currently sits at $175 per student or $250 per family.
This school donation has remained unchanged for a decade and its purchasing power has been eroded by significant inflation. To address this and align our school with comparable secondary schools across Auckland, the Board approved an adjustment to our donation rates starting in 2027.
We do not make this decision lightly – we do so to protect the learning journey of our children and ensure they are not bearing the brunt of the current economic climate. To provide context, our current research into the annual donations requested by our closest neighbouring Auckland public secondary schools produced an average donation request of over $500 per student for the year and in some cases the request was over $1000. However, we acknowledge that this comes at a time when many families are feeling a fiscal pinch. As a result, we are increasing the requested donation for the 2027 academic year to $300 for a single student and $400 for a family.
These contributions remain voluntary, yet they are vital. Where subject fees are directly related to consumables for a given subject, the school donation provides discretionary funding for generic classroom resources, technology upgrades, and co-curricular opportunities that allow our students to live out our Waiheke WISE values—Whanaungatanga, Independence, School Culture, and Excellence. This investment ensures we can continue to provide the learning environments and wider school initiatives that are helping us to raise the standard of education on Waiheke.
For whānau and community members who are in a position to provide additional support beyond these rates, I am pleased to update that the Waiheke High School Foundation, first announced at our 40th anniversary celebrations, is currently in its final stages of establishment. This foundation will serve as a long-term vehicle for community-led investment into the future of our kura. We will share more details on how you can contribute to the Foundation in the coming months.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and for the support you show our staff and students. By working together, we ensure that every student at Waiheke High School can embody our school whakataukī in pursuit of their farthest horizon.
Ngā mihi mahana,
Cameron Flude
