Key facts
- School number339
- School typeSecondary · Years 7–15
- AuthorityState
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established1 February 1961
About Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School
Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School is a state secondary school founded in 1961 to serve the growing population of south-west Christchurch. It is situated on six hectares, approximately ten minutes from the city centre. Following the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, the closure of the neighbouring Manning Intermediate School led Hillmorton to extend its year range from secondary to Year 7 through Year 13. By 2023 the roll had reached over 1,250 students, the highest in the school's history.
The school's Māori name, Horomaka, derives from a Waitaha ancestress associated with the area around the upper Heathcote River. The name was designated by Rikki Ellison, the Rangatira from Taumutu, to refer to the land between Hillmorton and Hornby. The school's crest features a Bengal tiger, taken from the family crest of Sir John Cracroft Wilson, a former landowner of the nearby Cashmere estate.
The school's four stated values are Tūrangawaewae (belonging), Whanaungatanga (interconnectedness), Mana (respect), and Ako (learning). These are reflected in the school's emphasis on inclusive culture and community connection, including a dedicated Whānau Zone focused on student wellbeing and family engagement.
The names of classrooms in the Aonga Ake block draw on the plants, stones, fibres, birds, and fish that Māori iwi — Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, and Ngāi Tahu — used in the area, which was historically swamp and marshland and an important site of mahinga kai.
Enrolment
Enrolment scheme on recordTe Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School has an enrolment scheme (a home zone) on record. Living inside it guarantees a place; living outside it does not, though out-of-zone applications may still be considered.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".
With an Equity Index of 467, Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School is in the range eligible to opt into the Ministry's donations scheme — receiving additional government funding per student in exchange for not seeking donations (except for overnight camps).
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 Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School actually sits, not just the number on its own.
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 →
Student ethnicity
The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 872 students (61.4%)
- Asian — 352 students (24.8%)
- Pacific — 136 students (9.6%)
- Māori — 236 students (16.6%)
- MELAA — 74 students (5.2%)
- Other — 17 students (1.2%)
- International — 56 students (3.9%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Education pathway
Nearby schools serving the next or previous year levels are shown as potential pathway options. They do not indicate formal enrolment pathways or actual student transfers.
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The Cathedral Grammar School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 4.4 km
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Paparoa Street School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 6.8 km
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Tamariki School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 7.9 km
Further education in Christchurch
Explore tertiary providers based in Christchurch — not necessarily where Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School's own students go on to study.
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University of Canterbury Universities
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Ara Institute of Canterbury Institutes of Technology & Polytechnics
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Hagley Community College YG Other Tertiary Education Providers
Location
- Street addressTankerville Road
- SuburbBarrington
- CityChristchurch
- Local authorityChristchurch City
Official contact details
- ContactSam Ainsworth
- Phone+64 3 338 5119
- Emailadmin@hillmorton.school.nz
- Websitewww.hillmorton.school.nz
Contact details combine official Ministry of Education records with information published on Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School's own website, reviewed by the KuraData team on 18 September 2026.
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School, regardless of year level.
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Cashmere High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 2.6 km
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The Cathedral Grammar School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 4.4 km
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Catholic Cathedral College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 4.9 km
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Paparoa Street School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 6.8 km
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Tamariki School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 7.9 km
Explore schools in Christchurch
Browse Christchurch schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Curriculum
Hillmorton High School offers a junior curriculum described as broad, covering subjects across all essential learning areas, and a senior curriculum with course options leading to tertiary study and careers. Dance is offered from Year 8 through to Year 13, with pathways extending to NCEA Scholarship.
Outdoor Education includes camps for students from Year 9 to Year 12. Year 9 students attend a three-day camp at Orton Bradley on Banks Peninsula, with activities including mountain biking, kayaking, and orienteering. Senior Year 12 students undertake an NCEA Hospitality course.
Arts subjects available include Art, Music, Dance, Drama, and Cultural Groups. Instrumental and vocal tuition is offered free of charge across the following instruments:
- Flute
- Drums
- Voice
- Clarinet & Saxophone
- Ukulele
- Guitar
- Keyboard
- Brass (Trombone, Trumpet, French Horn)
- Bass Guitar
- Violin/Viola
Tuition is provided by school-employed specialists and itinerant teachers through the Forte Itinerant Music Scheme. A limited number of instruments are available for hire.
Co-curricular Activities and Sport
The following named sports and activities are offered at Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School:
- Rugby
- Basketball
- Netball
- Football
- Athletics
- Swimming
- Badminton
- Skiing — at Mount Hutt
- Mountain biking
- Kayaking — including sea kayaking to camp on Quail Island
- Skydiving — as part of a South Island tour
- Tramping/hiking — across a variety of terrain
- Camping — including a trip to Mount Cook
The Year 7 & 8 sport programme is divided into two strands: weekly sport, which is open to all students regardless of experience, and tournaments and championships, for which students are selected based on skill and prior experience.
Student Support and Pastoral Care
Hillmorton High School provides the following named student support services:
- Guidance & Counselling — A team led by Jude Murray (Head of Guidance & Counselling), with full-time counsellors Kesh Sabey and Claire Hughes, plus two counselling interns each year. The service offers confidential support for students and whānau on personal, social, and academic concerns, and works with staff to promote wellbeing across the school. Contact: (03) 338 5119, extension 812.
- Learning Support — A dedicated team that works with students, parents, and teachers to identify learning challenges and develop individualised plans. Support is delivered through one-on-one assistance, specialised programmes, in-class support, and assistive technology.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School's own official Ministry of Education data already shown on this page, so what you read here always matches the figures above.
Sources & methodology
Every fact on this page traces back to one of the rows below — official Ministry of Education data, or Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School'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) | Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School's official website | Current | 18 September 2026 |