In 2020, St Andrew’s College celebrated outstanding results in NCEA, with a College record of 279 Excellence endorsements achieved across the three Levels. A total of 99.6 per cent of our students achieved Level 1, with 100 per cent of students achieving Level 2, and 98.0 per cent of students achieving Level 3.

Our approach to NCEA blends differentiation, contextual and relevant content, appropriate pathways for diverse learners, high expectation for all and celebration of individual success. While some schools are forgoing NCEA Level 1 courses in favour of other programmes, St Andrew’s strongly believes in the merits of the overarching NCEA framework, with the foundation NCEA Level 1 course at its heart.

NCEA Level 1 is an achievable programme, which provides structure and focus for students, and helps them to set personal goals. The programme’s flexibility provides students with the opportunity to learn and be assessed in many different ways, including internal assessments, and external examinations. Students gain a sense of achievement from gaining this nationally recognised benchmark.

During their Level 1 studies, students become familiar with the expectations of NCEA. They develop resilience, experience success and failure, and learn what works for them. All of this is critical preparation for the big step up to NCEA Level 2 and Level 3.

In early 2021, a number of student focus groups gathered feedback from students who unanimously agreed NCEA Level 1 is critical to future academic success.

The 53 scholarships awarded from the NCEA scholarship exams in 2020 validate St Andrew’s commitment to excellence and approach to NCEA with “no one left behind”.  All students are encouraged and supported to be the best possible version of themselves.