From the Board

I write this as Founders’ Day approaches and we once again look to celebrate where we have come from and preserve our traditions.

These traditions bind our students with all those which have come before and those yet to come. Importantly, these traditions endure through changes at St Andrew’s and remind us of the collective efforts of those who contribute so much to our College community.

It has been a pleasure to welcome Mark Wilson to the College as the new Rector. After a couple of quieter weeks on campus in early January, Mark has quickly and fully immersed himself in the role with the return of staff and students. On top of getting to know staff, students, and what day-to-day College life entails, Mark has also attended some Old Collegian reunions around the country. Mark and his wife, Judi, also spent time in Twizel at a rowing regatta and in Invercargill at the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships.

A key task led by the Board this year is to refresh the strategic direction of the College and develop a Facilities Master Plan for the coming years. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on what has contributed to the success of the College in the past and what is going to sustain and grow this success in the future. An important aspect of this process will be gaining insight from across our school community, who we will look to engage with over the next few months. We will publish the outcome of this work towards the end of this year.

While the future building needs of the College are being considered this year, there is no major capital project in the works. There are, however, a few smaller projects underway or recently completed:

• the Religious Education building is undergoing earthquake strengthening this year, which also includes a new roof, the addition of double-glazed windows, and classrooms repurposed for Science labs;

• the Arts Block toilets are currently being upgraded and changed from an internal communal toilet area to externally accessed individual cubicles. We will gain additional indoor storage space at the same time;

• the weir on Thomas Stream beside and under the bridge access to Castle Hill has worn significantly over the years. This was repaired over the summer to protect the bridge and ensure we continue to have safe access to our mountain lodge;

• the Preparatory School playground is also being upgraded to modernise the equipment and ensure we maintain a safe outdoor play environment.

Investment in our facilities plays a key part in offering high quality education. However, these facilities are nothing without the students and staff. The Leadership and Academic Assemblies at the beginning of this year were a great celebration of student success.

The Board is proud of the outstanding academic achievements in 2024. We achieved a pass rate in excess of 97 percent across all thre NCEA levels. These results were complemented by 62 NZQA Scholarships achieved across a wide range of subjects with eight at Outstanding level.

Our NCEA Level 1 results, showing a pass rate of just under 99 per cent, were particularly pleasing given the changes to NCEA Level 1 at a national level. We continue to see the benefits of the student performance data analysis programme and will continue to investigate how it can be used to monitor and improve outcomes.

We recognise this level of achievement takes a combined effort from students, staff, and families. We thank our talented staff for their continued dedication and families for choosing St Andrew’s College. Together we can continue to guide, encourage, and support the students.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi,
engari he toa takitini.
Success is not the work of an individual,
but the work of many.

I wish you all the best for the rest of what will hopefully be a gratifying and rewarding year ahead.

Felicity Odlin
Board Chair
On behalf of the Board of Governors