Kapiti College is situated at Raumati Beach on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, 40 minutes drive from central Wellington. It was called Raumati District High School when built in 1954, then renamed Kapiti College in 1957. The Kapiti College Motto is "Semper Fidelis". The roll is 1080 in 2010, including 75 international students from as far afield as Germany, Brazil, China and Thailand. Numbers of students at the college increased by 300 in the 2003-2010 period. Kapiti College is a Decile 8 school, meaning the majority of its students are from above average socio-economic status. Its students come from a wide range of backgrounds and includes a Māori proportion of 17 percent. The school offers a wide range of subjects typical of a New Zealand school of its size, and places particular emphasis on performing arts. Kapiti students compete regularly in events such as Shakespeare-in-Schools and Barbershop competitions and have regularly reached national finals. A high proportion of students study drama, dance, music or filmmaking. Recent changes include the construction of a new Sport and Recreation Centre, which is the only seated stadium on the Kapiti Coast, and dance and film studios.