This third instalment celebrating our academic successes focuses exclusively on the NZEST (Scholarship) examinations.

Since 2004 the awarding of Scholarship has been on the basis of student performance in examinations that sit outside the NCEA examination structure. The Scholarship examinations cover the scope of the national curriculum and are the most demanding and challenging assessment in the NZQA framework.

We have continued to build capacity and interest in Scholarship both within the staff and the students. The Scholarship club, the advent of Scholarship specific classes and a heightened sense of value around attaining Scholarship, have all contributed to our recent surge in Scholarships. In 2016 our students gained 28 Scholarships, a record for us and all Otago schools. In 2017, while the number fell slightly to 19, this still represents a more than acceptable return.

Every Scholarship is a great achievement and warrants individual celebration. We will focus our energies on celebrating each individual at our Blues and Scholarship Assembly on Friday 2nd March.

The Scholarship winners were:

Max Beal Year 13 

Top Scholar in Drama

William Scharpf Year 11 

Outstanding Scholarship in Calculus

Scholarship in Physics

Callan Carne Year 13 

Scholarship in Calculus

Scholarship in Chemistry

George Bates Year 10 

 Scholarship in Calculus

Tumai Cassidy Year 11 

Scholarship in Te Reo Maori

Riley Curran Year 12 

Scholarship in Calculus

Liam Hewson Year 12 

Scholarship in Biology

Asher Quin Year 12 

Scholarship in Statistics

Liam Ayson Year 13 

Scholarship in Design

Paul Burke Year 13 

Scholarship in Classics

Dale Dai Year 13 

Scholarship in Calculus

Sam Doorey Year 13 

Scholarship in Design

Sam Gouverneur Year 13 

Scholarship in Economics

Taichi Kojima Year 13 

Scholarship in Classics

Daylin McClintock Year 13 

Scholarship in Economics

Paul Ritter Year 13 

Scholarship in German

David Schack Year 13 

Scholarship in Painting

There are several things that are especially noteworthy.

(1) The number of students who gained Scholarships. There were 17 students who gained Scholarships demonstrating the breadth of student capability across the school.

(2) The number of subjects where students gained Scholarship. There were 11 subjects in which students gained Scholarship demonstrating the depth and breadth of teaching capability.

(3) There were five Calculus Scholarships in arguably one of the hardest subjects to get a Scholarship.

(4) There were six students who gained Scholarships who were not in Year 13. This shows the accelerated programme is really bearing fruit and young men are responding positively to the opportunity to extend themselves.

(5) Of course I must make note of our top scholar. Being the best at anything in the country deserves and merits special praise. Max Beal gained the honour of being crowned the top Drama scholar in New Zealand. A marvellous achievement.

In summary another very positive year academically. There are some subjects and some students with unfinished business when it comes to Scholarship. I know that through the committed approach of both our staff and students the returns from the 2018 academic will be equally rewarding for all participants.