Kia eke atu ki Taupaenui o te tangata

People reaching their full potential

Welcome to our school

Te Paepae o Aotea is a state co-educational school for Year 7 – 15 students based in Hāwera, South Taranaki.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui and Te Korowai o Ngāruahine have gifted the name of our school informed by the aspirations of our community. It was intended that the name be clearly South Taranaki, be inclusive and relevant to the whole community, and reflect our history and ambitions for the future.

Meet our principal

Rachel Williams, Tumuaki


Tēna Koutou e te whanau

Te Paepae o Aotea opened in February 2023 with approximately 1000 students. We are a co-educational state school catering for students in Year 7-15. Te Paepae o Aotea was formed in response to the closure of Hāwera High School and Hāwera Intermediate at the end of the 2022 school year.

Our school name, Te Paepae o Aotea, was gifted to us by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui and Te Korowai o Ngāruahine. Alongside our name, we were also gifted a whakatauākī and logo. There are two major components to our name, Paepae and Aotea and the condensed meaning is “We are on the learning journey of Aotea, as the people of South Taranaki, realising our full potential.”

Our whakatauāki, ‘Kia eke atu ki Taupaenui o te tangata,’ challenges us to instil in our students the tools to help them achieve their full potential, in the pursuits they and their whānau deem important. Our cultural narrative is the foundation that we use to unpack elements of Mātauranga Māori. Te Ao Māori is prioritised across the curriculum. A school wide culturally responsive pedagogy builds a family-like context, in which restorative practice promotes a healthy community and maintains authentic relationships.

Ngā mihi

Te Paepae O Aotea Curriculum

The New Zealand Curriculum is a document that outlines educational requirements in schools. The everyday teaching and learning that students experience is the result of teachers weaving together the national curriculum with local context and the diverse aspirations of learners and their whānau, in ways that are responsive to individual learner progress.

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Photo highlights of Our Year 9-10 Basketball team playing Feilding Agricultural High School this morning in the Taranaki Steelformers Year 9-10 Annual Tournament. Final score 76-86. Thanks to Michelle Shaw for the awesome photos. ...

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Photos from Te Paepae o Aotea's post ...

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Our TPOA Year 9-10 Basketball team has been competing at the Taranaki Steelformers Year 9-10 Annual Tournament, taking on some strong opposition throughout the weekend.
Results:
TPOA vs St Patrick's College, Kilbirnie: 87-102
TPOA vs New Plymouth Boys' High School: 52-108
TPOA vs Hutt International Boys' School: 72-89
TPOA vs Feilding Agricultural High School: 76-86
While the results haven't gone our way, this tournament has provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to challenge themselves, gain valuable experience, and continue developing their skills both on and off the court. Thanks to PIXL for the awesome tournament photos.
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The 1st XI Mixed Hockey team has headed off to Carterton for the Wollaston Trophy Championship. Their first match gets underway today at 3:00pm against Matamata College. Good luck, team. We're all behind you! ...

The 1st XI Mixed Hoc

Day 1 saw our Te Paepae o Aotea Senior A team take on two strong opponents, Palmerston North Girls' High School and Wellington Girls' College. While the results didn't go our way, the team continued to compete with heart and determination.
PNGHS: 53-12 & Wellington Girls' College: 59-12. The team is excited for Day 2 and will face Iona College Premier at 10:30am this morning.

Good luck, team. We're all behind you!
A huge thank you to Brad Roberts Photography for capturing the team's Day 1 tournament action.
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Today, after weeks of dedicated practice, Te Paepae o Aotea held its annual Inter Awa Waiata Competition. This year's Filipino theme brought a vibrant display of beautiful costumes and creative props. Every Awa delivered strong vocal performances, making for an outstanding competition. Congratulations to Kaūpokonui, who claimed the title for 2026! ...

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RSVP by Wednesday, 2 September 2026:
Des.Bain@tepaepaeoaotea.school.nz
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RSVP by Wednesday, 2

Te Paepae o Aotea wishes our 1st XI Mixed Hockey team all the best as they head away for Winter Tournament Week in Carterton. The team will proudly represent Te Paepae o Aotea at the Wollaston Trophy Tournament, running from Monday, 31 August to Friday, 4 September. Good luck, team. We're all behind you! ...

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See what's happening

We have completed our lockdown EXERCISE and all all students, staff and persons on site are safely accounted for.
27 March 2025

Te Paepae o Aotea is conducting a lockdown EXERCISE - Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 11.50am.