Papamoa's roll hits 1000

NEW YEAR: Melanie Hayden is looking forward to being part of the first intake of Papamoa College Year 13 students. PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER

Student numbers at Papamoa College have more than doubled and there are 51 extra teachers since it officially opened in 2011 - and on Monday it will welcome its first intake of Year 13 pupils.

Principal Steve Lindsey said its original roll was 450 Year 7, 8 and 9 students, but it would have "close to, if not over, 1000", starting in term one and have a full senior school. Teacher numbers had also increased from 25 in 2011 to 71, with another 26 support staff.

Those figures were expected to climb due to growth in the suburb and the Ministry of Education was already aware of its future requirements, he said.

"Our current roll will only keep increasing so we are going to need more facilities. So believe it or not we are talking about maybe phase three of our building programme.

"On our last build, the senior block, we began to futureproof things in the ground so they can be connected easily for the next phase."

Raising the school's profile and reputation was still an on-going focus but Mr Lindsey credited its students for helping to shape the school.

"They have been the pioneers if you like, especially in the way we learn at Papamoa College ... and they have had the opportunity to have a real impact and a real say. We have actually been shaped very much by the students in terms of the subjects that we have, the people that we employ, the courses that we do and the programmes that we run."

Mr Lindsey said he would be telling Year 13 students to "get stuck into your work".

They needed to know where they were going and how they would get there.

"We want them to be as successful as they can in whatever they endeavour to do."

Year 13 student Melanie Hayden said she enjoyed being a role model to others and liked the school's spirit.

She left Aquinas College to start at Papamoa College when it opened and said, "It was a real opportunity because it meant I would be one of the first students in the school.

"I was really excited ... it was quite interesting because the school is a bit different and has got the commons structure instead of the classroom structure," she said. "The rooms are a lot bigger and there is more than one class in each room so we can interact with each other.

"Our teachers are great and it means they can go and help other people if they need a hand."

Playing a part in the way the college had evolved was also rewarding, she said.

"I have been in some groups where we have been able to talk about what we want and that has been good."

The smaller environment meant most students knew one another and were proud of Papamoa College, she said.

A high achiever, Miss Hayden scooped three awards at the 2013 senior prizegiving, including academic excellence in chemistry and sports performance and commitment to learning in English.

In the future she hoped to pursue marine science at Auckland University and wanted to focus on working towards dux this year.

Her holidays had been spent at the beach after taking up surf lifesaving but it was back to reality on Monday, she said.

"I am looking forward to it. It's going to be awesome."