Our Story

Our visual story was created to represent our key foundations as a school. Our job is to give students the paddle and let them steer the direction of their learning.

Paddling in the waka are five students to represent the five year groups.

The students have developed a set of competencies/attributes (Head, Heart, Hands) that will enable them to paddle their waka in any direction that they chose in life - they are the skills to live and learn, function and succeed; to reach their full potential.

The students are:

- - - Literate and numerate
    - Critical thinkers
    - Able to take responsibility for their own learning and manage themselves
    - Confident and believe in themselves and their abilities
    - Able to connect and empathise others
    - Responsible, aware and contributing members of our community
    - Digitally fluent (5 E’s)
    - Capable of communicating themselves through a variety of mediums
    - Ready to embrace challenges and show perseverance.
    - Healthy and resilient

They have developed the values (CARE) of Challenge, Achievement, Responsibility and Empathy. They will underpin (as they do on the waka) everything that our learners do.

They have experienced successes and experiences to earn a Korowai. These experiences and successes will shelter them during the challenges they face. Successes will be different for all learners as they have different goals, interests and strengths. They wear them with pride.

They have qualifications and skills (Kete) to take on their journey in life.

They have ara (Map) for their journey. They will have the ability to set and achieve goals, in whatever direction they choose.

Lastly they have developed a strong sense of place, identity, belonging and pride (Au = Mountain/Waka Animals/Mairehau Flower/Southern Cross).

Mairehau High School aims to provide this though learning experiences that:

Acknowledge prior and future learning pathways for individuals.
Are based on authentic and relevant learning contexts.
Challenge our learners and expose them to new experiences and ideas.
Are differentiated and personalised to meet individual learning needs.
Connect to our local experiences, environment, cultures and the wider world.

Our Crest

The encompassing shape is that of the prow of a canoe, a device often used to mark hallowed ground. In the upper part is a symbolic Mairehau flower and in the lower centre is a mere, the symbol of leadership. On each side are scroll patterns indicative of Maori culture through the ages.

The school colours are red and white, and these with black were the only colours available to the Maori craftsmen. Each colour has its special significance. Red is the colour of the physical existence of mankind as we know it; black represents the spirit world of past and future; the white line which runs turning and returning through both red and black is the eternal soul of Man.

Our History

The school takes its name from the district of Christchurch in which it is situated, the name Mairehau having been adopted in 1916 as a compliment to Mrs Mairehau Hutton whose father, Arthur Gravenor Rhodes, owned considerable property in the area and was a notable benefactor to the district.

The name mairehau belongs also to a shrub which grows well in the kauri areas of New Zealand. It is noted for its small, whitish, prolifically growing flowers and for its fragrance.

According to legend Maire was the Maori mist maiden. She, of course, was invisible to mortal eyes and her presence could be detected only by her perfume (hau), the nearest to which in nature was the shrub which thenceforward was known as mairehau.

Kia mau koe ki nga kupu o ou tupuna

Hold fast to the words of your ancestors

Our Charter

The Mairehau High School Charter is the founding working document for the Board and provides the basis for all Board operations. The charter sets out the Board’s strategic leadership expectations for the next 3- 5 years.

The Charter reflects what the Board is doing to improve outcomes for students. There is a particular focus on student presence, engagement, achievement and progress, and it describes how the Board is giving effect to the National Educational Guidelines (NEGs).

2023 Mairehau High School Charter..pdf

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