In 2023, we formed a Scholarship History Group made up of six Year 11 students - Ryan Nattrass, Ryan O’Callaghan, Deacon Kynan-Wilde, Lucas Gill, Ollie Davis and Olivia Wilson.

Scholarship exams, taken in November, can be attempted by any high school student. They are considered the most advanced examination for a subject and are designed to challenge our top students. According to NZQA, “students are expected to show deep understanding of the subject, demonstrate high-level critical thinking and the ability to apply their understanding to complex situations” in order to be awarded NZ Scholarship. To award students achievement, they are also given financial awards which range from a one-off single subject award of $500 up to $10,000 per year for up to 3 years for premier award winners.

Scholarship exams look different in each subject. In History, the scholarship exam revolves around a theme indicated by NCEA at the beginning of the year and requires students to write three essays in three hours. Students are given a booklet of primary and secondary sources on the topic which they need to analyse on the day and weave into their responses. The theme for 2023 was Communism. Section One was on the concept of communism in general; Section Two required students to discuss communism in a worldwide (non-NZ) context; Section Three was on Communism in New Zealand in 1950.

As a group, we met every Tuesday lunchtime beginning in Term 2. While on study leave in Term 3, and again on exam leave in Term 4, the group also came in for half day and whole day workshops to prepare for the exam. We had some fantastically rich discussions which challenged our thinking about the world around us. We also worked on important skills like essay writing, using sources to analyse the topic with depth, writing concisely and formulating strong opinions. The group completed a practice exam in early Term 4 and sat the exam on 21 November 2023. All six students stayed through the three hour exam and most students were able to finish all three essays in that time. A monumental achievement in and of itself!

After many months of effort, we gained some fantastic results. Congratulations to Lucas Gill who earned a cut score of 13 out of 24 to gain New Zealand Scholarship in the 2023 exam. As a school, and especially as a Scholarship Group, we are massively proud of your achievement!

The group looks forward to continuing our quest for greatness in 2024. The topic for this year’s exam is Treaties with Indigenous Peoples and we are currently working on planning a trip to Waitangi later in the year to deepen our understanding and better prepare us for the exam.

Alyssa Johnstone

Scholarship History Teacher