From the Rector

In real estate the mantra is ‘location, location, location’, education is about ‘relationships, relationships, relationships’.

While our beautiful grounds, facilities, and infrastructure are all critical for the safe and inspiring delivery of teaching and learning, the heart of great schools is always the quality of the people and the relationships they form. As the new Rector at St Andrew’s College, I have been so impressed observing the strength of these relationships and the wonderful outcomes they help to create.

Quality relationships are those strongly connected to our beliefs and values, which we actively live out. At St Andrew’s College this means we seek knowledge and have integrity in what we say and do (Truth), that such truth and evidence inspire our actions (Faith), we are continually seeking improvement (Excellence), are imaginative and creative (Creativity), and recognise our strength in diversity (Inclusivity).

Having high quality staff is the key to successful schools, as the fundamental purpose of education is to help students learn and achieve. This is reinforced by advances in neuroscience research, which confirms people need to feel safe and supported for them to successfully learn. The heart of education is relationships, especially between the student and teacher. Everything depends on how productive and successful that relationship is.

In addition, evidence-based practice confirms what most parents and teachers already knew – that the real success to schooling is having high standards and high expectations. The quality of our teachers’ positive relationships with their students is how we communicate and insist on these high standards and expectations. These fundamental truths are the key to making a successful school. I have been so impressed and reassured with my class observations at St Andrew’s on how engaged and focused our students are, which is underpinned by strong and positive relationships.

The success of a child’s education cannot be left to chance but must be deliberate and intentional. Our teachers and staff are not infallible superheroes, they are wonderful professionals with great passion, commitment, and dedication to help bring out the very best in our students. The importance of time and focus for regular staff professional development is part of what we are looking to set into our school structure.

Strong professional learning for our staff is a critical part of not only building skills, but also the school’s culture and values. For example, our group of Senior, Middle and team leaders from teaching and learning, and support staff across the College started this year with externally facilitated workshops on how to effectively have ‘courageous conversations’ (or ‘candid conversations’). Recognising the benefits of learning how to have such difficult conversations in order to improve open and honest communications, helps builds trust, assists with resolving conflict, and improves personal growth.

These strong relationships are also evident across our support staff, who help support our core business of teaching and learning. It is our excellent people managers who help ensure the consistency of our top-quality work in areas such as catering, cleaning, grounds and facilities, boarding, library, accounts, and all our sports coaches and performing arts tutors and instructors. This helps everyone understand their role in ensuring our students have the highest quality schooling experience and become the very best version of themselves.

This Regulus edition, my first, contains many stories of wonderful achievements and opportunities which are the outcomes of these strong relationships.

A key highlight for me has been seeing our students participate in the wide variety and breadth of opportunities and experiences available to them at St Andrews. During my visits to classrooms, sports fields, events such as the Pipe Band Nationals, rowing regattas, the Year 10 Te Waka Calling Ceremony, and seeing students in action in their various activities including cultural performances, robotics, outdoor adventures, fun House competitions, service leadership, and special celebrational assemblies, I have met many wonderful new people who love and appreciate all that St Andrew’s has to offer.

It’s wonderful to see our students not only enjoying what they are doing, but seeing the personal growth and development that their hard work and commitment brings. Many schools may talk about holistic learning, but St Andrew’s College truly delivers this all-round development, enabling our young people to find their passions and sense of belonging, and to become the very best version of themselves they can be.

Mark Wilson
Rector