Name of School:Reporoa College
Name of Contact Person: Mr.Rex Wood
E-mail address of contact person:rmwood@wave.co.nz
Mailing address:
Students enrol at 7 form (Form 1) from three contributing schools Reporoa Primary, Broadlands and Mihi. The college also receives enrolments at year 9 (Form 3) level from Waikite Valley Primary School and Lake Rerewhakaaitu Primary School. Approximately 76% of College students are of European origin, 19% Maori, with the remainder of mixed or other ethnic origins.
The school site is 6.82 hectares in area and has within its boundaries tennis/netball courts, one rugby field, one soccer field and one hockey field. The classrooms are divided into six main blocks. There are 23 teaching spaces and four resource rooms, including seven free-standing classrooms.
There is a full size swimming pool complex, and a modern gymnasium with an excellent supply of Physical Education equipment. These facilities, along with a well stocked library, are available for community use as required.
Other facilities within the College grounds include a Confidence Course, Artificial Cricket Wicket, two practice concrete pitches, Music Rooms, Canteen, Stationery Store, College Hall, Music room and Changing Facilities.
There are a number of constraints on the College, mainly due to its location. One is the heavy dependence on bus transport. Over 90% of students travel to school by bus, and the school requires bus transport for most education activities outside the classroom. Some students send two hours a day on the buses, as some families live in isolated places. A half-hour trip to Rotorua or Taupo is necessary for any students who wish to participate in LINK programmes, work experience and some subject related work. It is important to acknowledge that our students experience disadvantages as a result of the schools rural location. (grass athletic field) Reporoa College draws its students from the area bounded by the Tauhara Forest to the south, State Highway 1 to the southwest, the Paeroa Ranges to the west, and the Kaingaroa Forest to the east. In the north, families from Waikite Valley and Rerewhakaaitu may send their students to Reporoa College or Rotorua schools from form 3 on.
The following percentages mainly reflect the school's community, some describe the wider local community. There are 650 households in the district, 220 of them with students at Reporoa College, so the link between the school's community (parents/caregivers) and the local community is close.
The area is predominantly agricultural, with supporting industries and services. 25% of College parents/caregivers are involved with dairy farming, and c 17% with mixed farming, (including homemakers who live on farms). The remainder are involved in a wide range of occupations including local service industries. These include a dairy factory, sawmills, forestry, agricultural contacting and stock transporting. Some travel to Rotorua and Taupo to work. C 45% of College parents/caregivers are self employed at c 33% are wage and salary earners. In the workforce in the Reporoa area, c 41% are self employed and c 50% are wage and salary earners.
Of the total residents in the community, c 47% are female, c 53% male. C 44% are ages 0-19 years, c 35% 20-39 years, c 16% 40-59 years and only c 5% are 60 years and over. Most school leavers go out of the area for tertiary education trade training or work. A lot of older residents retire out of the area.
In the local community, c 79% are European, c 15% Maori and the remainder class themselves as being of other origins.
The area has suffered the consequences of the rural recession in the 1980s. In 1986, c 25% of the local population over 15 earned more than the national average income. With the improvement in the rural economic situation, it is likely that this situation has now improves.
In the local community unemployment stands at c 4-5%. The 1 June changeover date for dairy farm ownership causes a movement of families within and outside the district each year.
Other educational institutions in the area are a Kindergarten, a Play centre, two Kohanga Reo and five Primary Schools. These include the Waikite Valley and Rerewahakaaitu Schools which have attached Year 7 and 8 (Form 1 and 2). The Waikite Valley and Rerewahakaaitu area have a similar make-up to the Reporoa area.
The community is well-served by its organisations, with most essential services available, complemented by a wide range of recreational facilities.
The College enters teams in a wide variety of sports such as: Athletics, Swimming, Basketball, Field Hockey, (boys and girls) Netball, Equestrian, Cross Country, Triathlon, Tennis Orienteering, Badminton and Cricket
Rex Wood
Physical Education Department
Reporoa College
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Last Modified: March 21, 1998