Learn More About Hastings Girls' High School
Hastings Girls’ High School (HGHS) is a state secondary school located in Hawke’s Bay, serving approximately 565 students from a diverse range of backgrounds. Our kura is deeply connected to our local iwi, strongly engaged with Pasifika communities, and increasingly focused on strengthening inclusivity across all cultures.
About Us
We are proud of our innovative curriculum (including award-winning leadership in the development of our Junior Hub programme), our performing arts and sporting achievements, and our commitment to ensuring every student feels a sense of belonging and opportunity.
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Years
Mission:
Through the implementation of our vision, our learners will become confident, connected and lifelong learners who are well placed to become socially aware citizens of Aotearoa.
Values:
Kaitiakitanga:
Guardianship
Whakawhanaungatanga:
Together
Manaakitanga:
Kindness/Caring
Whakaute:
Respect
Pono:
Integrity
Vision:
Through knowing their story and supporting them in their learning today, our ākonga will be best prepared for their tomorrow.
Motto:
Ākina – Strive for excellence
Our School
At Hastings Girls', we cherish identity as a precious asset—the cornerstone of student learning and the bedrock of our locally-rooted curriculum. Our aim is for each girl to embrace her heritage, strengths, and passions, empowered by a deep understanding of who she is.
Guided by our values—Pono, Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Whakaute, Kaitiakitanga—we provide a framework for developing moral courage. Through both example and exploration, these values become ingrained in our daily lives, shaping character and guiding actions. We recognize that moral courage, like physical strength or intellectual prowess, is not static but a quality that can be nurtured and refined with determination.
We uphold a holistic approach to education, nurturing well-rounded individuals who excel as learners, athletes, artists, exemplary citizens, and future leaders. Our aspirations for our girls are lofty; we strive to provide unwavering support, equipping them with courage, kindness, and readiness for life’s challenges.
Strengthening student wellbeing for success
At Hastings Girls', our primary focus is on each individual girl. Understanding her unique journey informs how we tailor our educational support. Our comprehensive pastoral care system is designed specifically to meet the diverse needs of our students. Our aim is to establish a genuine partnership between families and the school, enhancing our capacity to nurture her well-being and effectively prepare her for the future.
Our team of wellbeing specialists is committed to addressing your daughter’s needs comprehensively. They continually assess procedures, collaborate with external partners, and leverage the latest research and insights, whether related to academics, behavior, or family engagement. Through this collaborative approach, we stimulate innovation and cultivate the best possible experience for our students.
At Hastings Girls’, holistic care is facilitated through our Ākina Groups, also known as Form Classes. These small groups are organised within Learning Hubs in the junior school and include a mix of students from Year 11, 12, and 13 in the senior school. Each Ākina Group ensures that every girl receives personalised attention from a dedicated adult who guides her learning, personal growth, and development throughout her school years. This enduring group dynamic fosters strong, positive relationships, provides mentoring opportunities, and fosters a profound sense of belonging. Our goal is to empower our girls with self-awareness and a deep sense of acceptance, connection, and value.
Providing rich, relevant learning pathways
Here at Hastings Girls’, we recognise students have different strengths, and learn at different speeds. We aim for each of our girls to achieve their goals and excel in learning, leaving us as young women who will flourish in society.
Students are mentored in order that they choose a pathway that best suits their strengths, interests and future plans.
We are committed to a curriculum that challenges and develops the critical thinking, creativity, knowledge and skills of all our girls. Specific learning needs are targeted by our supported learning programmes, tailored to offer extra support to girls who need it.
We also identify and provide for students who will benefit from further enrichment opportunities to extend their educational potential. This happens both in and beyond the classroom, with students participating in events such as Tournament of Minds and Growing NZ. From Year 10, students have the opportunity to take NCEA levels in their subjects of strength.