You will have seen the foundations laid and now the framing is going up…. welcome to our newest teaching space, Rakipaoa (Smokey Sky).
Rakipaoa will be home to our English and Social Sciences at the end of 2026.
Rakipaoa is an old Māori name connected to the Upper Riccarton area and the southern branch of the Avon River. Historical records note variations including O’Rangiopāoa, O’Rakipāoa, Rakipawa, and Raki-paoa, all meaning “smoky sky.”
The name is linked to the stream that flowed east from Haereroa (Avonhead springs) past Pūtaringamotu (Deans Bush) to join the Ōtākaro (Avon River), and to an old cultivation area near the former pā at Waiateruati.
