Predicted results good – delivered results outstanding

The release of external, independent value-added assessment data has revealed a large group of Year 11 students are significantly outperforming their predicted academic growth rates, which are among the very highest in New Zealand.

A group of 40 students have achieved ‘value-added’ scores which place them in the top eight per cent nationally, while another 50 students are ranked in the top 15 per cent across the country.

Principal of Secondary School, Evert van Florenstein, says the College is ‘totally delighted’ with these results.

“It’s a great news story for St Andrew’s to share and celebrate. These students have far exceeded expectations, with their results highlighting the level of support and care provided at St Andrew’s to help every student achieve at their very best,” he says.

The results reflect success across a broad range of learners, including students requiring additional learning support, says Evert.

“About 25 per cent of our students receive some form of learning support. These results reassure parents they can feel confident their children will be known, supported, and encouraged to succeed at St Andrew’s.”

In Year 9, students sit nationally standardised testing alongside thousands of other New Zealand students, which is overseen by the Centre for Assessment and Monitoring (CAM) at the University of Canterbury. The results from this assessment predicts their likely academic levels by Year 11, which is where St Andrew’s students are far exceeding expectations.

“This means students who were expected to gain an Achieved baseline pass are achieving significantly higher than expected, especially when compared against their peers in other schools around New Zealand with similar entrance testing.”

Evert says one of the keys to the success is the way in which St Andrew’s identifies learning needs early and uses data carefully to guide teaching and mentoring.

“We assess students very early and are able to track progress closely, identifying where they may need support or extension, and intervening quickly before small issues become bigger challenges.”

The results also highlight the strength of learning within the College’s co-educational environment, with girls and boys both achieving excellent outcomes and embracing academic success, he adds.

“The benefits of learning in our co-educational environment are clear, with our overall percentages of students passing NCEA outperforming single sex schools at all three levels last year. An impressive 94.7 per cent of boys and 91.3 per cent of girls gained University Entrance in 2025, which was considerably higher than the average of 70.1 per cent in boys’ schools, and 81.4 per cent in girls’ schools.”