The school’s campus is located to the easternmost end of Hastings City, adjacent to Windsor Park to the west and the Heretaunga Plains’ orchards to the east.

It maintains a good reputation in dance and music competitions and provides a wide range of opportunities to students to this end.

In recent times the schools top teams in Netball, Rugby and Canoe Polo have enjoyed considerable success.

Karamu’s student body is subdivided in four houses Kaweka (yellow), Tukituki (blue), Te Mata (orange) and Heretaunga (red).

The high school’s yearbook, ‘Tira Ora,’ is named after a branch of the karamū tree used in Māori ceremonies and produced by a group of students and teachers.