Papatoetoe High School

Papatoetoe High School (PHS) is a secondary school (years 9–13) in Papatoetoe suburb of Auckland, New Zealand.

Papatoetoe High School
Location
19 Nicholson Avenue Papatoetoe Auckland 2025 New Zealand
Coordinates	36°58′30″S 174°52′21″E
Information
Type	State co-ed secondary (Year 9–13)
Motto	Digne Lampada Tradas ("worthy to hand on the torch")
Established	1956
Ministry of Education Institution no.	95
Principal	Vaughan Couillault
Staff	120
School roll	1731[1] (July 2025)
Socio-economic decile	3
Website	papatoetoehigh.school.nz

History

Papatoetoe High School was established in 1956.

In February 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, cases of COVID-19 associated with a family whose daughter attended Papatoetoe High School led to increased lockdowns in the Auckland Region for several weeks.^[2][3]

Enrolment

At the September 2018 Education Review Office (ERO) review of the school, Papatoetoe High School had 1396 students enrolled. 52% of students were male and 48% were female. The prioritised ethnic composition was 37% Indian, 16% Māori, 13% Samoan, 7% Tongan, 9% South East Asian, 5% Chinese, 4% Cook Islands Maori, 3% other Pacific peoples, 3% New Zealand European, and 3% other ethnic groups.^[4]

As of July 2025, Papatoetoe High School has a roll of 1731 students, of which 254 (14.7%) identify as Māori.^[1]

As of 2025, the school has an Equity Index of 472,^[5] placing it amongst schools whose students have above average socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 4 and 5 under the former socio-economic decile system).^[6]

Principals

• Colin McGill 1956–1966
• Bruce Hunter 1966–1978
• Hugh Richards 1978–1996
• Peter Gall 1996–2016
• Vaughan Couillault 2016–present

Notable alumni

Main category: People educated at Papatoetoe High School

• Fepulea'i Margie Apa, healthcare chief executive^{[citation needed]}
• Georgina Beyer,^[7] former Labour Member of Parliament
• Dillon Boucher, New Zealand's most decorated basketballer and former assistant coach of the Tall Blacks and former small forward for the New Zealand Breakers^{[citation needed]}
• Charlie Faumuina, Auckland and All Blacks player^{[citation needed]}
• Phil Goff, former Mayor of Auckland, former MP for Mount Roskill, former Leader of the Opposition (2008–11)^[8]
• Mark Gosche,^[9] former Labour Member of Parliament
• Ricki Herbert, former All White and former manager of All Whites and Wellington Phoenix
• Emma Hunter, Samoan New Zealander Olympic swimmer^[10]
• David Shearer (1971–75), MP for Mount Albert, humanitarian worker, Leader of the Opposition (2011–2013)^[8]
• Ish Sodhi, Northern Districts player and member of the New Zealand national cricket team
• Young Sid, real name Sidney Diamond, rapper