The Wentworth Story
Wentworth College was founded by three visionaries — Alex Findlay, Stephen Fleming, and Allen McDonald — united by a shared ambition: to create an outstanding independent school that would deliver a world-class curriculum within a supportive, values-driven environment.
In 2001, the Gulf Harbour site was secured and construction began on what would become Wentworth College. On 27 August 2003, the College was officially opened by Dame Sylvia Cartwright, welcoming its first cohort of just 43 students and 10 teachers.
Building on this success, Wentworth expanded its educational offering with the opening of the Primary School in 2008, enabling a seamless pathway of learning from the early years through to senior secondary education.
From these early beginnings, Wentworth has grown steadily in both size and reputation. Today, the College educates more than 550 students from Years 1 to 13 and is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most respected independent schools, remaining firmly committed to its founding vision: the pursuit of excellence, the development of the whole person, and a strong sense of community.
In 2025, Wentworth reached a further milestone with the completion of a major expansion of the Primary School, providing additional learning spaces to support growing enrolments. Continuing this planned growth, a new College building project is now underway, with foundations laid for the construction of additional classrooms to support teaching and learning across the senior school. Scheduled to open at the end of 2026, this development reflects Wentworth’s careful, long-term approach to growth and its commitment to meeting the evolving needs of its students.
