Our Taumata
There are six Taumata, Houses at Hutt Valley High School are each named after a prominent Wellington maunga, mountain peak or landmark.
House groups are made up of students from Years 9 to 13. Each house has two student leaders. Houses compete against each other in a range of activities throughout the year including sports, cultural, creative and service activities. Students can also gain House points each term through their Attitude to Learning grades.
Pictured: 2023 House Winners Jasmine Moor and Vinushan Kanthasuvami (Tararua), alongside 2024 House Winner Brooke Ruthven, accepting the award on behalf of Tararua.
Students compete for the beautiful House trophy (pictured below). The waka was designed and carved by Terry Deverell, a former staff member. Over the last five years, the House trophy has been won by Matairangi (2020), Pukeatua (2021), Remutaka (2022) and Tararua (2023 & 2024).
The House system is coordinated by Deputy Principal, Grace Wright and the twelve students appointed as House Leaders each year.
The Story of Each House
Matairangi
Core Message – Protect and Serve
2025 Matairangi House Leaders – Grace Rogers & Mark Hazeldine
We wear the joyous yellow of the kōwhai. Our maunga is Matairangi, the southern peak which can be seen from the school field. This is the point where the bird spirit of the taniwha Whātaitai alighted after his death. There it watched over the harbour below and this is our kaupapa, to keep watching over the needs of others, to serve and protect.
Ōrongorongo
Core Message – Strength in Diversity
2025 Ōrongorongo House Leaders – Macy Warbrick & Luke Belcher
We meet beneath the pink of the evening sky, bathing the pōhutukawa lined Ōrongorongo Valley in its gentle light. This awa, which runs through the southern Remutaka ranges, is a shapeshifter, one day a gentle trickle, the next a raging torrent. We derive our kaupapa from this image. It is in our diversity that we find our strength.
Pukeariki
Core Message – Growth Through Challenge
2025 Pukeariki House Leaders – Eden Pākai & Matiu Lowrie-Ronson
We are proud to assemble beneath the colour purple and the symbol of the nīkau. Our maunga is Pukeariki, the range that defines the western margin of the Hutt Valley. The nīkau starts as a small flax-like palm and grows over time into a beautiful tree. This is our kaupapa, celebrating who we are and who we will become.
Pukeatua
Core Message – Hope and Unity
2025 Pukeatua House Leaders – Ruby Andrews & Adam Kennett
We proudly wear the orange of the signal fire. Our maunga is Pukeatua (Hills of the Gods), the range running between Waiwhetū and Wainui-o-mata. History tells of local iwi lighting signal fires on this range, to warn others of approaching danger. This is our kaupapa, working together that we may feel safe and thrive.
Remutaka
Core Message – Take A Risk, Reach For Your Goals
2025 Remutaka House Leaders – Brooke Black, Ollie Counsell & Zeb Sime
We gather together beneath the cool shade of forest green and the emblem of a chief’s feather. Our maunga is Remutaka, the ranges which stand between the Hutt Valley and our Wairarapa neighbours. Haunui-a-nanaia, an ancestor of the Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi people of the Whanganui region, left his home in southern Taranaki to explore and during his journey, he took rest in these ranges and considered his quest. This is our kaupapa, to strike out, take risks and explore the world around us.
Tararua
Core Message – Strength & Unity
2025 Tararua House Leaders – Tui Denham & Bryan Daniels-Fok
We stand proud beneath the white of the snow capped mountain. Our maunga is Tararua, the mighty range of peaks that stands guard over the northern end of our valley. Sir Edmund Hillary said: ‘It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves’. This is our kaupapa, looking inward to find our strength while helping those around us conquer their own personal mountains.
