History

Hukerenui School has a rich and well-preserved history – a history that positions it as the heart of the community. The original school, established in 1889, was surrounded by a number of small schools which were amalgamated in 1949.

In 1957 the Hukerenui District High School was built and, when this closed in 1973, the Primary School shifted to the current site, where the High School originally operated.

Hukerenui is a rural district with many families involved in dairy farming and there are also a number of lifestyle blocks. The rural nature of the community is an important aspect of the school culture and is reflected in the very well supported Agricultural Day – held annually – which showcases students’ commitment to training, feeding and rearing an animal.

Good numbers of students represent the school at the Whangarei Group Calf Club event held annually in Whangarei and have won the trophy for the most successful school for four consecutive years.

The school celebrated its centennial in 1989 along with a number of other smaller schools in the area which were amalgamated over the years. In 2014 we celebrated a 125th reunion. The current school was originally the secondary department of a District High School, with the current tennis club and cub/scout den being the Primary School. The High School was closed in 1972 and the Primary School was transferred to the existing site.

In 2015 a group of four girls used the future problem-solving learning model and identified that the school’s huge land space needs to be more effectively used for their education. They set out to develop the land with resources gained from the wider community. They created 5 authentic learning resources which is now used by the whole school and embedded in the annual curriculum overview of each class. This hands on authentic agricultural learning resource aligns well with the agricultural culture and the school motto of the school.

In 2018 a second group of 4 students developed the whole school’s authentic learning capability. They based the development on science learning throughout the school to ensure sustainability and ongoing development through futuristic plans are ensured. This thoroughly supports the focus on learning with a purpose that is continuously developed at Hukerenui School.

Close ties are kept with the surrounding schools for sporting and cultural visits and the school works closely with its community. This includes an ongoing commitment to develop relationships with the Akerama and Whakapara marae.