A tale of two schools (or: The case for St Peter’s in Epsom being NZ’s best school for boys).
Rugby is by no where near a key in terms of school quality – but the major boys schools do put a lot of emphasis on it and see success as a form of prestige.
Last Saturday St Peter’s in Epsom 1st XV (1306 students) beat Auckland Grammar (2,600 students) – at Auckland Grammar – 13 to 10. This was even after having to bring benches for their reserves from their own school.
There are other criteria to learn from too – especially academics.
Both schools have almost the same Equity Index number (EQI) – the measure that replaced deciles. In terms of ethnicities that struggle in our system St Peter’s has 13% Maori and 23% Pasifika. For AGS those numbers are 9% and 8%.
And yet – Education Counts (the Ministry of Education’s statistical arm) lists:
- 94.2% of St Peter’s 2022 LEAVERS achieving University Entrance (the top Boys’ school result by approx 10%)
- 74.9% of Auckland Grammar LEAVERS achieving University Entrance.
Anyone interested in improving education in NZ would do well to think about how the very successful schools are doing what others are failing to do.
Alwyn Poole
Innovative Education Consultants Ltd
www.innovativeeducation.co.nz
alwynpoole.substack.com
www.linkedin.com/in/alwyn-poole-16b02151/
ps: Had these two articles up this week:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/structured-literacy-school-testing-three-lessons-to-restore-nzs-education-system-alwyn-poole/3DXP3RCDW5AOBLLTEH3MMMEKAA/
www.localmatters.co.nz/health/charter-school-founder-sets-sights-on-south-warkworth/
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