Last updated October 2026
Porirua College is a state, co-educational secondary school for Years 9 to 13 at 64 Driver Crescent, Cannons Creek, Porirua. It opened in 1968 and had 573 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes all of Cannons Creek, and parts of Rānui and Waitangirua; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school’s site lists classes in te reo Māori, Gagana Samoa, kapa haka and Te Ao Haka, whakairo (carving), digital art and Pacific Studies, with Gagana Tokelau, Te Reo Kūki ’Āirani, Tongan and Korean also offered through a languages programme, and a Personalised Learning programme for students with additional learning needs.
Senior students can join the Gateway workplace programme or practical courses at Whitireia, and Te Kiwa Nui, the school’s Polyfest, brings together Samoan, Tokelauan, Tuvaluan, Tongan, Niuean, Cook Islands, Fijian and Kiribati groups and kapa haka.
At a glance
- Principal
- Ragne Maxwell
- Address
- 64 Driver Crescent, Cannons Creek, Porirua
- Phone
- 04 237 5465
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Cannons Creek near Wellington.
Parts of Rānui and Waitangirua near Wellington: 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 573 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
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.
Suspensions: fewer than 5 cases in 2025, so no rate is shown.
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 December 2025. ERO found that the junior school now has thorough systems for tracking and reporting progress, so students get timely help with literacy and numeracy, and that leaders have created a settled school with programmes matched to individual needs. Classrooms were respectful and inclusive, and students’ cultures and identities were recognised.
ERO also found that achievement needs to improve: less than a third of students arrive at the expected curriculum level and less than half reach it by the end of Year 10, a small majority gained NCEA Level 1 literacy, less than a third gain NCEA Level 3 and University Entrance, and there are gaps between groups of students.
Less than a third of students attend regularly, and ERO found the school significantly behind the Government target. ERO’s priorities are to lift and hold attendance, set and check expectations for good teaching, apply consistent curriculum expectations with a focus on maths and literacy, test whether current initiatives are working, and use data to plan and resource improvement.
ERO also recommended that the Ministry of Education give the school tailored support with low attendance and with the pace of improvement.
Read the ERO reports for Porirua College
Enrolling
Porirua College has an enrolment scheme, so students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol, with proof of address such as a power, gas or rates bill. Out-of-zone places are offered under the scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
Families can apply online, with a downloadable form, or with an enrolment pack from the school office or their child’s primary or intermediate school, and the school then arranges an enrolment meeting. New students are invited to a transition programme at the school before they start.
Schools nearby
In Cannons Creek near Wellington
Porirua College is in Cannons Creek near Wellington. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Cannons Creek near Wellington guide →Questions parents ask
Is Porirua College zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Cannons Creek near Wellington and parts of Rānui and Waitangirua near Wellington.
What years does it teach?
Years 9 to 13.
How many students go there?
573 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?
529. 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, 70% 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, 28 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).