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Welcome, Kia ora

Striving for Excellence, Through High Expectations

Tēnā koutou!

Welcome to Buller High School

Buller High School is a modern, co-educational, multi-course, Year 9-15 Secondary School, serving the town of Westport and surrounding areas.
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First established as a District High School in Lyndhurst Street in 1899, the School moved to the present site in 1922 and continues to provide quality education by developing and maintaining a wide range of academic, vocational, recreational, sporting, and cultural courses to meet the changing needs of its community.
 

The roll is approximately 340 with an average Year 9 intake of about 80-90 pupils drawn from the four local contributing Primary Schools each year (Granity School, St Canices School, Westport North School and Westport South School).

​Buller High School provides a safe and secure environment for the general education of pupils in Years 9 to 15 following National Curriculum Guidelines. We also provide technology education for the Year 7 and 8 students from our local primary schools.

Pupils are encouraged to value knowledge, to develop independent learning skills and good study habits, to improve skills of judgment, decision-making and communication, and to take pride in high personal achievement.
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They are encouraged to develop respect for others; to improve self-esteem, self-discipline, tolerance, and to co-operate with others in the interest of learning. They are also encouraged to participate in a wide variety of sporting and cultural pursuits, to develop individual skills and talents to their fullest potential. The school recognises its unique role in the community and continues to encourage staff, pupils, parents and the local community to become involved in achieving these goals.

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Learning

Tumuaki | Principal’s Welcome

Tēnā tātou e te whānau whānui o Te Kura Tuarua o Kawatiri.

Kia ora! I am Vai Mahutariki, your Principal of Buller High School. 

It is a profound honour to lead this kura and to be in a community that my whānau and I care for so deeply. My leadership is driven by a simple, unshakeable belief: that every student who walks through our gates deserves to be known, to be challenged, and to feel a true sense of belonging. 

I bring over 18 years of educational experience spanning New Zealand and international settings having served as a Head of Department, Director of Boarding, Assistant Principal, and Deputy Principal. These roles have taught me that while academic excellence is our core business, the heart of a great school is the strength of its relationships (Whanaungatanga) and the care we show one another (Manaakitanga). 

At Buller High School, we don’t just deliver a curriculum; we prepare our rangatahi to dream beyond the Paparoa ranges and equip them with the confidence to reach those dreams. I am committed to a culture of high expectations, ‘Me takakawe i ngā tūmanako ki te tihi o te mātauranga’ where both students and staff have the space to innovate, thrive, and lead. 

My leadership is visible and heart-led. You will find me in our corridors, in our classrooms, and on the sidelines of our sports fields, because I believe that authentic trust is built through being present in the daily life of our school. 

I am dedicated to ensuring that Buller High School remains a safe, inclusive, and inspiring environment where every learner’s potential is realised. I look forward to partnering with our families and our wider community to build a future for our students that is as bold and resilient as the Buller region itself. 

Nāku noa, nā

Vai Mahutariki

Tumuaki | Principal

 

Our Goal

Striving for excellence through High Expectations
Me takakawe i nga tumanako ki te tihi o te matauranga

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