Aranui High School

Aranui High School was a large secondary school for years 9–13, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Aranui High School took its name from the suburb of Aranui, meaning 'big pathway' in Māori. Aranui High School was a coeducational alternative to other secondary schools in Eastern Christchurch such as Linwood College and Mairehau High School.

Aranui High School
Location
Shortland Street, Wainoni, Christchurch
Coordinates	43°30′58.06″S 172°41′44.29″E
Information
Type	State, co-educational, secondary
Established	1960
Status	Closed
Ministry of Education Institution no.	323
Principal	John Rohs
School roll	338[1] (July 2016)
Socio-economic decile	2D[2]

Despite its name, the school was in the suburb of Wainoni.^[3] As part of the government's restructure of Christchurch schools following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the school's closure was announced in 2013. It closed in 2016, and Haeata Community Campus, a school taking year 1–13 pupils, opened on the campus from a merger of Aranui High School with Aranui, Wainoni, and Avondale primary schools.

History

Established in 1960, the school quickly grew into one of Christchurch's largest secondary schools, with a peak roll of over 1600 students.

The school became a key community hub and helped to educate not only local Māori and Pasifika students, but also Pākehā (New Zealand European) and other ethnicities well beyond the Aranui community limits.

During the magnitude 6.3 earthquake on 22 February, the school suffered only moderate damage but was forced to close for nearly a month. As a result of the earthquake the school experienced a significant decline in enrolment.

In 2013, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced that Aranui High School would be merged with local primary schools, including Wainoni, Aranui and Avondale Primary, to form a year 1–13 community campus. Aranui High School closed on 15 December 2016.^[4]

Houses

• Kahikatea
• Kauri
• Kowhai
• Rimu

Notable alumni

Main category: People educated at Aranui High School

• Ben Franks, rugby player
• Keri Hulme, writer
• Miriama Kamo, television presenter, host and producer
• Stacey Morrison, TV and radio host
• Nigel Richards, greatest Scrabble player^[5]
• Lea Tahuhu, cricketer

Notable staff

• Marian Hobbs