Te Aratai College construction update

Te Aratai College (formerly known as Linwood College) is well into construction at the school’s Aldwins Road site. A major rebuild of all existing school buildings, the College has been designed for community-whanaungatanga and kōrero and will be a reflection of the name gifted by Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Te Aratai College, translated as Pathway to the Sea.

This state funded co-educational high school is located in East Christchurch and has a high level of diversity within its community, which the school identifies as one of its special characteristics. The rebuild is a key opportunity to manifest the values and aspirations of the community, nurturing learner excellence and providing for their future educational needs.

The design establishes a robust framework of two key courtyards shaped by the learning spaces around them. These courtyards will be the heart of the college where ākonga, staff and whanau can come together and be part of the collective learning community. Learning spaces respond to the varying needs of students, offering the flexibility to expand from smaller, quieter classroom sizes to larger spaces for student gatherings.

The design process involved extensive stakeholder and community engagement through interactive workshops and has capitalised on the many advantages of project delivery with BIM. Ultimately the design is driven by the community’s strong desire to be able to regard the College, once again, as the local school of choice.

Te Aratai College is due for completion early 2022, welcoming ākonga in term two.