Aquinas College, Pyes Pa (Tauranga) — Roll & School Data

Key facts

School number482
School typeSecondary · Years 7–15
AuthorityState : Integrated
GenderCo-Educational
BoardingNo
Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
Established27 January 2003

About Aquinas College

Aquinas College is a Catholic secondary school operating from Years 7 to 13. Its Catholic special character shapes the school's structure and daily life: Religious Education is taught across all year levels, Mass is celebrated weekly in the school chapel, and students participate in liturgies, annual retreats, and Catholic feast days and seasons throughout the year.

The school's stated founding principles are six Touchstones — Family, Scholarship, Truth, Service, Prayer, and Joy — each paired with a te reo Māori equivalent (Whānau, Mātauranga, Pono, Manaaki, Karakia, Harikoa). These are described as guiding relationships, curriculum, and the school's emphasis on restorative practice, cultural responsiveness, and social justice.

A Graduate Profile frames the school's educational goal around developing students as servant leaders, expressed through the concepts of belonging in a faith community, reasoning belief, and discipleship.

Senior students in Years 11 to 13 can participate in the Intentional Discipleship Pathway, a school-based youth ministry programme in which students lead retreats, youth nights, and liturgies for younger peers. Students also take part in community social justice activities including Kura Kai, Foodbank appeals, Young Vinnies, Leos, and Caritas Challenges.

Enrolment

No enrolment scheme listed

No enrolment scheme is currently listed for Aquinas College in the available Ministry of Education data. Check the current Ministry of Education information or contact the school for the latest enrolment arrangements.

School donations

The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations may be requested".

Check directly with the school for current charges, contributions or other costs. Learn more on the donations scheme or fees and charges at school, both on education.govt.nz.

Equity Index

The Ministry publishes this figure as a bare number — KuraData shows it against the directory-wide average, so you can see where Aquinas College actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA

402

Scale: 344–569

Band: Fewest (2026)

WHAT IT MEANS

The Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers students face, on average, and is used to inform government funding and support. It is not a measure of school quality or academic performance.

Higher values indicate a higher level of estimated socio-economic barriers; lower values indicate fewer. Learn how the Equity Index is calculated →

EQI scale (344–569)

Directory avg 455.8

Aquinas College 402

Student ethnicity

The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Aquinas College's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.

European — 640 students (76.5%)
Asian — 183 students (21.9%)
Pacific — 28 students (3.3%)
Māori — 138 students (16.5%)
MELAA — 29 students (3.5%)
Other — 6 students (0.7%)
International — 26 students (3.1%)

Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.

Further education in Tauranga

Explore tertiary providers based in Tauranga — not necessarily where Aquinas College's own students go on to study.

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Institutes of Technology & Polytechnics

See all tertiary providers in Tauranga →

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap

Street address183 Pyes Pa Road
SuburbPyes Pa
CityTauranga
Local authorityTauranga City

Official contact details

ContactMatt Dalton
Phone07-5432400
Emailadmin@aquinas.school.nz
Websitewww.aquinas.school.nz

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Aquinas College, regardless of year level.

TKKM o Piripono Te Kura Whakahou ki Ōtara Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 141.2 km
ACG Parnell College Composite · Years 1–15 · 154.5 km
Westbridge Residential School Specialist School · 169.4 km
Albany Senior High School Secondary · Years 11–15 · 169.8 km
Tokomaru School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 307.5 km

Explore schools in Tauranga

Browse Tauranga schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.

Secondary schools (1) All schools in Tauranga →

Curriculum

Aquinas College follows the eight learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum, taught from Year 7 to Year 13. As a special character school, Religious Education is also taught across all year levels. Languages offered are French and Te Reo Māori.

The eight learning areas are:

English
The Arts
Health and Physical Education
Languages (French and Te Reo Māori)
Mathematics and Statistics
Science
Social Sciences
Technology

In Years 7 and 8, students are taught by specialist teachers for the Arts, Technology, and Languages. From Year 9, students follow a rotating timetable and must study English, Religious Education, Maths, Science, Social Studies, and Health & PE, alongside lessons in Tikanga Māori and Te Reo Māori. Year 9 students also choose three option subjects, at least one of which must be from the Arts or Technology. The senior school offers NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement), and international students have access to ESOL support.

Co-curricular Activities

The following named sports programmes are offered at Aquinas College:

Netball — up to 180 girls competing each year across Year 7–13; weekly competition at Harbourside Netball Centre, Blake Park in Terms 2 and 3; Premier team targets the Upper North Island Secondary Schools Competition
Hockey — 1st XI and 2nd XI teams for secondary students, and 6-aside teams for Year 7 and 8; most games played at Tauranga Hockey Centre, Blake Park; 1st XI teams target the NZ Secondary Schools Tournament in Term 3
Rowing — boys' and girls' crews from Novice through to U15 and U18; open to Year 9 and above (Year 8 students considered on application); competes at North Island Secondary Schools Rowing and NZ Secondary School Rowing (Maadi Cup) at Lake Karapiro; active Terms 1 and 4
AIMS Games — annual multi-sport event for Year 7 and 8 students held in Tauranga; sports offered include badminton, basketball, BMX, canoe sport, cross country, football, futsal, golf, gymnastics, hip hop, hockey, indoor bowls, mountain biking, multisport, netball, rock climbing, rugby, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, water polo, yachting, and surfing

Student Support and Pastoral Care Services

Aquinas College provides pastoral and student support through several named roles and services.

Assistant Principals for Pastoral Care — separate roles for the Middle School and Senior School, with overall oversight of students' pastoral care needs.
Year-level deans — support the Assistant Principals for Pastoral Care in addressing student welfare at each year level.
Mentor teachers — work alongside deans and Assistant Principals as part of the core pastoral team.
Guidance counsellors — two on-site counsellors, Kristen Gilbert (on-site Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday) and Alan Syme (on-site Monday through Friday), support students with concerns including anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, disordered eating, and suicidal ideation. Students can access counselling by contacting a counsellor directly, submitting an online form, or using a yellow slip posted in a confidential box at the student office. Parents and staff may also refer students, with the student's consent. Counselling practice is guided by Te Whare Tapa Wha, a Māori model of health.
Learning Support team — works with teachers, Leaders of Learning, Senior Leadership, whānau, and external agencies to provide personalised support for students with additional needs. Support available includes ORS Specialist Teaching, ESOL tuition, In-Class Support, Riding for the Disabled Association, and Specialised School Transport Assistance.
Peer mentors and student leaders — contribute to the broader pastoral support network alongside classroom teachers and learning support staff.
Student Services / Wellness Centre — the physical point of contact for students arriving late (who must sign in there) and for students who feel unwell, where they are assessed and caregivers are contacted.
Pastoral Assistance fund — a portion of the school donation is allocated to assist students in need with costs such as school trips, sports teams, and uniforms, and to support families experiencing hardship.

Frequently asked

These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Aquinas College's own official Ministry of Education data already shown on this page, so what you read here always matches the figures above.

Aquinas College is classified as a Secondary (Year 7-15) school serving Years 7–15.

It's a state school in the Bay of Plenty region. New Zealand domestic students are generally entitled to free enrolment and education at state schools.

Yes. It's a co-educational school, enrolling both boys and girls.

837 students, according to the August 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Aquinas College's students face, on average. The Ministry uses the Equity Index to help target funding and support. It is not a measure of school quality or academic performance.

Sources & methodology

Every fact on this page traces back to one of the rows below — official Ministry of Education data, or Aquinas College's own published information, reviewed before publication. Nothing here is inferred or estimated beyond what its source actually states.

Data	Source	Data period	Last checked
School characteristics	Ministry of Education	—	7 September 2026
Student roll	Ministry of Education / Education Counts	August 2026	7 September 2026
Equity Index	Education Counts	—	7 September 2026
Address & coordinates	Ministry of Education	—	7 September 2026
Contact details	NZ Schools Directory	Current	7 September 2026
School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed)	Aquinas College's official website	Current	16 September 2026