Update from the Founders: Term 3, 2026

Sherida Penman Walters

Our roll has now reached 151 students, with only a small number of places remaining. We expect to reach our current capacity of 160 students before the end of the year. We are incredibly grateful for the confidence so many families continue to place in our school, and it is a pleasure to welcome new students and whānau into our growing community.

The interest in North West College for 2027 has been overwhelming. We have received applications across every year level and have already reached capacity for Years 8, 9, 10 and 11. We are currently enjoying meeting with prospective Year 7 families as part of our enrolment consultation process and look forward to welcoming many of them into our community next year.

To help meet this demand, we are exploring the possibility of opening an additional Year 7 class in 2027. This would allow us to have three Year 7 classes of approximately 20 students each while continuing our carefully planned growth towards an eventual roll of around 420 students. As always, our priority is ensuring every student receives the personalised learning and strong relationships that are central to the North West College experience.

Our plans for 2027 include bringing our entire school together on one campus at 199 Universal Drive. This is an exciting milestone for North West College and will provide a purpose-built learning environment where all year levels can learn alongside one another.

Our Year 7 and 8 students will be based in our existing Universal Drive building, where they will continue to enjoy a programme similar to this year, with academic learning each morning, Creative Arts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons, and Sport and Outdoor Education on Wednesday afternoons. Students will also access our new learning spaces for specialist subjects, making full use of the outstanding facilities available across our integrated campus.

Work on our new building at 199 Universal Drive continues to make fantastic progress. It has been exciting to watch our vision come to life, and we are looking forward to moving into the new facilities in early December. This will ensure everything is ready for the start of the 2027 school year, when our entire school community comes together on one campus for the first time.

As our school grows, so does our team. We are currently recruiting additional teachers for 2027 and have been delighted by the calibre of educators who are interested in joining us. It is encouraging to see so many talented teachers who share our vision and are excited about helping shape the future of North West College.

We are also pleased to let you know that Minister David Seymour visited North West College at midday on Thursday, 13 August. During his visit, he toured our new building and made an announcement about charter schools. While students continued with their usual learning programme, a small group of student leaders had the opportunity to accompany the Minister during his visit.

As many of you know, charter schools continue to be part of the national conversation. We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support we receive from our families and wider community. If you feel comfortable doing so, we encourage you to share your experiences with your local election candidates. Hearing directly from families about the positive impact North West College has had on their children is one of the most powerful ways our story can be told.

Ken Pemberton