Last updated November 2026
Hornby High School is a state, co-educational secondary school for Years 7 to 13 at 180 Waterloo Road, Hornby, Christchurch. It opened in 1975 and had 1,015 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes all of Islington, Hei Hei, Templeton, Wigram, Hornby and Yaldhurst, and parts of Hornby South, Broomfield, Russley, Sockburn and Rolleston; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school’s site describes Te Whānau Reo Māori, a te reo Māori special programme with its own entry criteria, a Learning Support Department with a Learning Centre, and ESOL programmes for students who need English language support.
Co-curricular groups on the site cover the arts, culture, environmental action, extension clubs such as chess and the Duke of Edinburgh award, sport and e-sports, and the school takes international students, who live with homestay families.
At a glance
- Principal
- Ruth Robertson (Acting)
- Address
- 180 Waterloo Road, Hornby, Christchurch
- Phone
- 03 349 5396
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Islington, Hei Hei, Wigram, Templeton, Hornby and Yaldhurst Christchurch.
Parts of Hornby South, Broomfield, Russley, Sockburn Christchurch and Rolleston near Christchurch: check your street.
Zone boundaries are set by the school’s enrolment scheme and can change. Confirm your address with the school before you rely on it.
NCEA results
School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with all New Zealand school leavers.
This school New Zealand
School leavers are students who left school that year, whatever year level they left from.
Who goes here
Share of the 1,015 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
3 international students
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
Stand-downs and suspensions
Cases per 1,000 students in 2025, adjusted for the ages of the school’s students, compared with all New Zealand schools.
These measure how a school responds to behaviour, and schools set their own thresholds, so they are not a measure of how students behave.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Evaluation Report from October 2025. ERO found that students feel included and connected, understand what is expected of their behaviour, and say teachers build respectful relationships with them.
A largely new leadership team is working with staff on improvement priorities and on changes to the school’s structures and systems, and pastoral care and learning support have been strengthened.
ERO was also clear that improvement is needed in attendance and in how well students achieve. Most students leave with NCEA Level 1, but only a small majority gain Level 2 and less than a third gain Level 3, results differ a great deal between groups of students, many arrive below expected curriculum levels, and only a small majority attend regularly.
ERO’s key priorities are to lift achievement and equity for all groups of students, build consistent and effective teaching, collect and use learning information better, grow tikanga, te reo Māori and culturally responsive practice, and keep reviewing attendance strategies.
ERO also recommended that the Ministry of Education give the school tailored support with assessment for Years 7 to 10 and with tracking students’ progress over time.
Read the ERO reports for Hornby High School
Enrolling
Hornby High School has an enrolment scheme, so students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol, with proof of address.
Under the scheme, any out-of-zone places go first to students accepted into a special programme, then siblings of current students, siblings of former students, children of former students, and children of board employees or members, by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
The school’s enrolment page says that roll growth means it is not taking out-of-zone enrolments for the foreseeable future, so check that page for the current position.
Families read the prospectus, check the zone, complete the online enrolment form and are then contacted to book an interview before the student starts. Entry to Te Whānau Reo Māori involves a whānau interview and a commitment to te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.
Schools nearby
In Hornby
Hornby High School is in Hornby. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Hornby guide →Questions parents ask
Is Hornby High School zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Islington, Hei Hei, Wigram, Templeton, Hornby and Yaldhurst Christchurch and parts of Hornby South, Broomfield, Russley, Sockburn Christchurch and Rolleston near Christchurch.
What years does it teach?
Years 7 to 13.
How many students go there?
1,015 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
No. It is in the donation scheme, so it only asks for donations for school camps.
What is its Equity Index?
489. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 65.9% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 23 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). Home zone: Ministry of Education enrolment zones (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0).