Construction of new Wakatipu High School to begin

The new school site in Remarkables Park, Frankton means the year 9–13 school will be able to expand its growing roll from around 840 to 1,200.

Wakatipu High School will continue to operate from its current site until it moves.

The new facilities are being designed to allow future expansion that could cater for up to 1,800 students on the site.

The new facilities will include a multipurpose theatre space, gym, specialist learning facilities, a dance studio, and a music rehearsal and recording studio. There will also be sports grounds for soccer, rugby and cricket and hard courts for netball and tennis.

Details of the design for Wakatipu High School are currently being finalised and the school has chosen to have an innovative learning environment.

Innovative learning environments include flexible learning spaces that can be adapted to suit different teaching and learning styles.

Wakatipu High School is one of four new schools to be built and maintained under the Ministry of Education’s second Public Private Partnership (PPP).

In a PPP, a private partner is responsible for designing, building, financing and maintaining the school property for a contracted term – in this case, 25 years after the school opens. This effectively provides a guarantee on the buildings throughout the life of the contract.

Provision of education remains the responsibility of the principal and board of trustees, and the Government still owns the land and buildings. Any property issues that arise are the responsibility of the private partner to put right.

Site works will begin by the middle of this year, and actual construction by the end of 2016.

* All images courtesy of Guillaume Charton.