Otumoetai College is a state-run coed secondary school that enrols students for Years 9-13. It’s mission is to encourage excellence in independent study and promote the wellbeing of students within the college community.

The college is well-known for the excellence of its musical and stage productions and has fielded successful sporting teams in national competitions.

In line with it’s mission to promote excellence and independence, the college provides a range of flexible study options for students at all levels of ability and ensures that the needs of students at school are meet in a way that encourages personal growth and development of the individual.

Otumoetai College provides you with:

1. A great educational experience under the tuition of highly trained and qualified teachers in a modern, up-to-date school environment.
2. The chance to grow personally and academically in a supportive and caring environment.
3. An opportunity to experience family life in New Zealand with the homestay family the looks after you.
4. Opportunities to meet and study with students from New Zealand and other countries and make lasting friendships.
5. A taste of the natural beauty and interest of New Zealand’s mix of Maori and European cultures within the scenic landscape of the Bay of Plenty.

 

Address:105 Windsor Road, Bellevue, Tauranga 3110,  New Zealand
Website: www.otc.school.nz

Location

Otumoetai College is located in the small port city of Tauranga on the Bay of Plenty, which is a warm and sunny rural region that exports flowers, timber and fruits of various kinds to the global market.

The area offers great opportunities for water sports including surfing, water-skiing and sailing, while the rural environment surrounding the city provides an interesting backdrop for this city of roughly 110,000 residents.

Tauranga is approximately 105 km from Hamilton and 85 km from Roturoa, which are the nearest major cities.

The region is characterized by its mild, sunny climate (annual average temperature: 14.2 ° C) and its picturesque surroundings and is therefore a popular tourist destination. However, New Zealand is also gaining ground here. On the one hand, there are retirees who are looking for a peaceful, comfortable retirement home. On the other hand, there are also increasingly young people coming to Tauranga, who are attracted by the ocean and the beaches, to take advantage of the great water sports offer, which ranges from water skiing to sailing to surfing. Thus, the city has the highest population growth rates in all of New Zealand. Nevertheless, thanks to the rural surroundings with its kiwi and orange plantations and its flower fields, Tauranga retains its cozy, relaxed atmosphere.

School Facilities

The school’s facilities have recently been upgraded and include sports and playing fields, swimming pool and gymnasium, library and computer labs, and various specialist teaching facilities for subject areas such as music, art and science.

The school is known for its generous landscaping and recreation facilities. However, the educational facilities have also been brought up to date in recent years by strong financial efforts. Thus, the Otumoetai College has the reputation of being a very modern school and only recently a new main building has been set up as well as further renovation work has been completed. But labs, bookstores, computer rooms and many other building tracts are also well equipped and provide excellent learning conditions.

In addition, the school has two large sports halls with squash fields, climbing walls and dance rooms. There is also a large outdoor area with modernized artificial grass fields and a swimming pool.

Curriculum

In Years 9 and 10, students study compulsory subjects, while in Years 11-13 they are prepared for the NCEA and, in Year 13, university entrance, through a range of elective subjects. All curriculum areas are designed to fulfil the objectives of the revised New Zealand Curriculum for high school education.

The school offers a varied course program. In order for the students to make the most suitable course selection possible, there is an orientation week at Otumoetai College, in which information can be given about the various subjects.

A number of standard subjects (English, mathematics, natural sciences, sports, etc.) must be covered in the lower classes. However, these decrease as you up a class level, and the number of elective courses increases accordingly. These elective courses cover some interesting subjects such as e.g. Horticulture, creative cooking, fashion & design, business administration, tourism and art history.

On arrival at the school, students are assessed for their level of English language proficiency. They are then assigned the relevant necessary English language tuition they need to study in the mainstream school programme

Student activities

The college encourages its students to get involved in other, non-academic activities that are offered, such as cultural and sporting activities,and to take  advantage of the great location on the Bay of Plenty and have a go at swimming, surfing and sailing.

Otumoetai College is proud of its wide range of extracurricular activities, which are considered to be an integral part of school life. For some time now, there has been a particular government in the cultural sphere: both the theater and the debating club, the choir and the school bands offer the students attractive opportunities for leisure activities.

But sports enthusiasts are also well taken care of. The school teams have been successfully participating in national competitions for many years. In addition to well-known sports such as football and hockey, students here can also practice typical New Zealand sports such as netball or they use the proximity to the harbor and the sea to try water sports.

Free time activities

The region Bay of Plenty offers so much to do during leisure time. This is already evidenced by the strong boom in the tourism sector, which has been unchanged for several years. In addition to the beautiful beaches, there are also excursions to the country. A special attraction is nearby Rotorua, which is located in a very active volcanic zone. Brooding mud baths, hissing geysers and various sulfur pools shape nature here and make the city and its surroundings one of the tourist highlights of the North Island of New Zealand.

International Student Support

Otumoetai College is visited only by a relatively small group of international students (currently 75 people from 11 countries), as the school management wants to ensure that all guests are best cared for and their special needs can be met. For this reason, there is also an orientation program for international students, which includes the following:

• Presentation of the city of Tauranga and its surroundings
• Introduction to school life
• Information about the local traffic system, banking business, etc.
• Instruction in the school system
• Course selection
• Introduction to New Zealand culture and history
• English language test

 

To provide further assistance in learning the English language, international students attend additional ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses. As a rule, these include 12 school hours per week. For additional assistance, a language center near the school is available.

The school also selects the host families for the international students and ensures that these are suitable places for you to experience the New Zealand lifestyle. To facilitate coexistence, the school has created a guideline, which is distributed to students from abroad and their host families.

School Fees

Please visit our page "School Fees New Zealand"

Application

To make your application to study at Otumoetai College, contact AA Education Network today and one of our counsellors will guide you step by step through the process of applying to the study and applying for your visa. We will also help you plan and organise your travel and answer any questions you may have.