[1] The Whanganui Chronicle reported that the school opened in 1954, and added seventh form education in 1977.
[3] During its last four years, the school had a rapidly declining role and widespread absenteeism.
[4] On 3 April 2007, Education Minister Steve Maharey announced that the school was "no longer viable."
He said the roll was too low to effectively provide the curriculum.
[5] The school was discussed in Parliament on 14 February 2007, when local MP Chester Borrows claimed that half the students were truant every day but not reported; the school had a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:8 and "everyone fails"; teachers only taught 3.5 days per week; the New Zealand Qualifications Authority had evidence of cheating by students and teachers; two-thirds of Waverley children were bussed to schools out of town rather than attend the school; there were are no remedial programmes for literacy and numeracy: "Whose head will roll for letting this community down so badly?