Rolleston College stuck in limbo after Ministry’s setbacks

Rolleston College opened in 2017 and initially only had 225 Year 9 students. The campus is currently holding 1801 students, which is a massive leap from the 1100 students that their main building is able to accommodate. 

Construction is under way on the main building but since this was delayed for six years the school has been stuck with a number of modular classrooms to take on the overflow of students.

The high school in Selwyn put in the consents for a rebuild of their campus in December last year and didn't hear back from the Ministry, prompting Principal Rachel Skelton to call a meeting with them.

“We hadn’t had a lot of information about next steps on the new campus so I asked for a meeting with the Ministry of Education and that is when they presented us with a plan that they’d obviously worked on without our input to present at that meeting.”

With the reworked plans removing many key features from the initial full school rebuild, the Principal is seeking answers.

“We were also told that there was no appetite or programme to build any of the other buildings that make up what would be a high school.”

Delays and strip backs are what Rolleston College continue to face, even after the Ministry of Education said the second campus at Rolleston College 'is a priority for investment'.

It seems as though growing schools has been a challenge for the Ministry of Education, with the Head of Property, Sam Fowler, making a statement on the matter.

“We need to make sure that we make the right investments through our new schools programme in order that we can best respond to the need for additional capacity across the motu.”

For now it will be an anxious wait for students and parents alike, with Principal Rachel Skelton maintaining concern for her ākonga as well as future students.

 “It's the parents of kids who are to come that are particularly worried about what this will mean for their children.”