Last updated October 2026
Hillcrest High School is a state, co-educational secondary school for Years 9 to 13 at 141 Masters Avenue, Hillcrest, Hamilton. It opened in 1972 and had 1,800 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes all of Newstead, Hillcrest, Silverdale and Riverlea, and parts of Eureka, Matangi, Tauwhare, Tamahere, Puketaha, Hamilton East, Ruakura and Gordonton; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school’s site describes a learning support centre, a physical assistance centre and an independent living centre, a junior extension programme for gifted students, kapa haka and a Pasifika group, and more than 30 sports codes. It also takes international students, with an international centre and English language support.
At a glance
- Principal
- Christine Williams
- Address
- 141 Masters Avenue, Hillcrest, Hamilton
- Phone
- 07 857 0297
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Silverdale Hamilton, Newstead near Hamilton, Hillcrest and Riverlea Hamilton.
Parts of Eureka near Hamilton, Matangi near Hamilton, Tauwhare near Hamilton, Tamahere near Hamilton, Puketaha near Hamilton, Hamilton East, Ruakura and Gordonton near Hamilton: 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 1,800 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
45 international students
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 Report from August 2026. ERO judged the school to be doing well in most areas and excelling in its provision for students with additional needs.
Results at NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 keep rising, with a large majority of students gaining each level, and a small majority gain University Entrance.
Most students meet expected literacy levels in Years 9 and 10 and a large majority meet maths expectations. ERO described clear, evidence-based leadership, structured and effective teaching, a broad curriculum with academic, vocational and tertiary pathways, and students who feel included and well supported.
Attendance and equity were rated as working towards: only a small majority of students attend regularly, and results are not yet equitable for Māori students and boys.
ERO also found that records of staff identity checks had not been kept well enough, which the board has since fixed. The next steps are to lift and sustain regular attendance, close achievement gaps, especially for Māori learners, and build consistent schoolwide evaluation.
Read the ERO reports for Hillcrest High School
Enrolling
Students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol. Out-of-zone places are offered under the school’s enrolment scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
The school’s enrolment page links the zone map and a list of roads in the zone, the prospectus and course information, and asks families to contact the school for an enrolment pack.
Schools nearby
In Silverdale Hamilton
Hillcrest High School is in Silverdale Hamilton. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Silverdale Hamilton guide →Questions parents ask
Is Hillcrest High School zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Silverdale Hamilton, Newstead near Hamilton, Hillcrest and Riverlea Hamilton and parts of Eureka near Hamilton, Matangi near Hamilton, Tauwhare near Hamilton, Tamahere near Hamilton, Puketaha near Hamilton, Hamilton East, Ruakura and Gordonton near Hamilton.
What years does it teach?
Years 9 to 13.
How many students go there?
1,800 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?
451. 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, 79.2% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 22 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). Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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