Rotorua Boys' High School
Address
Pukuatua Street Rotorua New Zealand
Coordinates	38°8′19.59″S 176°14′17.25″E / 38.1387750°S 176.2381250°E / -38.1387750; 176.2381250Coordinates: 38°8′19.59″S 176°14′17.25″E / 38.1387750°S 176.2381250°E / -38.1387750; 176.2381250
Information
Type	State single-sex secondary, years 9–13
Motto	Latin: Ad Astra Per Aspera Māori: Whaia Te Iti Kahurangi (To the stars through hard work. Search for great things.[3])
Established	1927
Ministry of Education Institution no.	152
Principal	A. Chris Grinter
Gender	Male
Houses	Drake, Frobisher, Nelson and Raleigh
Colour(s)	Red and Blue
School roll	884[1](August 2018)
Socio-economic decile	3G[2]
Website	rotoruaboyshigh.school.nz

Rotorua Boys' High School is a state school educating boys from Year 9 to Year 13. It is situated just outside the Rotorua CBD at the intersection of Old Taupo Road and Pukuatua Street in Rotorua, New Zealand.

History[edit]

Rotorua Boys' High School had its beginnings as the Rotorua High and Grammar School, founded in 1927^[4] to replace the earlier Rotorua District High School (1914–1926).^[5] By 1956 it had a roll in excess of 1200 students. The Intermediate Department was closed when Rotorua Intermediate School was established in 1957.
The Rotorua High School was further split to make room for a growing population of the district and its educational needs when, in 1959 Rotorua Girls' High School was opened. Rotorua High School was then established as Rotorua Boys' High School and commenced to function as a state secondary school for boys with a roll of 640 pupils in February 1959.^[6]

Principals[edit]

Rotorua District High School

• J M Warn (1914–1915)


• F D Wood (1915–1919)


• W Lewins (1920–1926)


• G Barber (1926)

Rotorua High and Grammar School

• A R Ryder (1927–1931)


• W G Harwood (1932–1959)

Rotorua Boys' High School

• N H Thornton (1960–1962)


• E F Hamill (1963–1979)


• G R Cramond (1980–1991)


• A C Grinter (1991 – present)

A book about Rotorua Boys' High School's history was published in 2007 and can be bought in bookstores around Rotorua.

Houses[edit]

Rotorua Boys' High School's four houses are named after British heroes:

• Drake (Admiral Sir Francis Drake) — red


• Frobisher (Sir Martin Frobisher) — yellow


• Nelson (Horatio Nelson) — blue


• Raleigh (Sir Walter Raleigh) — green

Hostel[edit]

Rotorua Boys' High School officially opened the Tai Mitchell Hostel, a new onsite boarding facility, in 2005 at a cost of $3.5 million. The facility is designed to accommodate 104 students which represents over 10 percent of the school roll.

The Ministry of Education appointed a limited statutory manager late in 2009 to investigate alleged mismanagement, inappropriate drug-testing and financial issues regarding the school hostel.^[7][8]
In June 2010 the limited statutory manager reported that, following his investigation, he had found that the school had no case to answer.

Families whose children have been excluded from the school's Tai Mitchell Hostel complained about unfair treatment. They believed their sons were targeted for inappropriate drug test procedures and inappropriate action taken after drug tests were performed.^[7] The statutory manager appointed by the Ministry of Education to look into the school's procedures, Dennis Finn, told The Daily Post he has cleared Mr Grinter and Mr Whata and had full confidence in them. Mr Finn said the report and its findings were only a small part of the bigger picture. The real issue was the serious breach by students of the rules of the school or hostels, he said. "Drugs; whether use of, in possession of, or supply of, will not be tolerated or accepted."
Mr Finn told The Daily Post he held a meeting between the mother and Mr Grinter and believed the issue had been resolved. The boys had since been reinstated at the school.^[9]

Notable alumni[edit]

The Arts[edit]

• 
  Alan Duff — author


• Sir Howard Morrison — musician


• 
  Jordi Webber — member of boy band Titanium
  

Broadcasting[edit]

• 
  Neil Waka — TVNZ presenter

Politics[edit]

• 
  Percy Benjamin Allen — National Party politician

Sport[edit]

• 
  Sam Bewley — cyclist, team pursuit (Beijing Olympics 2008)^[10]


• 
  Garrick Cowley — rugby union player (Manu Samoa)


• 
  Mike Delany — rugby union player (All Blacks)


• 
  Tom Donnelly — rugby union player (All Blacks)


• 
  Robbie Eastham — shooter^[10]


• 
  Teimana Harrison — rugby union player (Northampton Saints and England)


• 
  Dylan Hartley — rugby union player (Northampton Saints and England)


• 
  Danny Lee — golfer^[10]


• 
  Adam McGeorge — footballer (All Whites, Oly-Whites 2012)


• 
  Liam Messam — rugby union player (All Blacks, Waikato, Chiefs, captain of the Commonwealth Games winning sevens team)


• 
  Sam Messam — footballer^[10]


• 
  Craig Newby — rugby union player (Otago, North Harbour, Highlanders)


• 
  Ben Sandford — skeleton sledder and Winter Olympian^[11]


• 
  Isaac Te Aute — rugby Union Player (Rotorua Boys' High School First XV Captain), New Zealand Sevens^[12]


• 
  Mike Walker — kayaker^[10]

Notes[edit]

External links[edit]

• 
  rotoruaboyshigh.School.nz – Official website