PNBHS in 2023

Student Numbers:

School roll at the end of the 2023 school year - 1712

· Year 9 – 380

· Year 10 – 396

· Year 11 – 348

· Year 12 – 275

· Year 13 – 218

In the last few years we have started the school year with more than 300 in year 13, but with the Manawatu economy being strong at the moment we are seeing many leave for employment.

We anticipate beginning 2024 with approximately 430 young men in Year 9 and a total school roll in excess of 1,800.  We have had to enforce the school zone and, unfortunately, nearly 70 2024 Year 9 students were turned away as our facilities are at capacity.  

Pathways and Programmes:

There has been very strong growth in the numbers getting apprenticeships in particular (we’ve gone from one Gateway class to three).

Construction is a very popular senior subject.  Previously they have built a classroom to replace one of the old prefabricated rooms in P block and this year have started the construction of relocatable houses for private clients. The first three houses are nearly completed with contracts for another four. The joinery classes will be involved in the internal fit out of these houses.

This is a fantastic opportunity for boys to develop practical skills and will see us able to offer a ‘micro credential’ through the BCITO that can take up to six months off a building apprenticeship.

We are incredibly fortunate to have trade qualified and experienced staff in woodwork and metalwork. The courses on offer are regularly reviewed to make sure they meet what employers are looking for – furniture making replaced with joinery, boys learning how to make kitchen cabinets and have made bookcases and storage cabinets for some recent office renovations around the school.

In 2024 Automotive Engineering is being introduced with four classes at Years 12 anmd 13.

In the late 1990’s we had about 180 Year 13 students on our roll – approximately 80% of them would have gone on to university.  In the last few years we have started the school year in January with more than 300 Year 13 students.  In 2022 – the most recent data we have – 28% of our school leavers went to University with another 49% into other tertiary training – polytechs, apprenticeships etc. 

Prior to 2019 Massey University was the most popular tertiary destination for school leavers. This has changed, in 2021 70 boys went to UCOL, 45 to Massey University.

There has been significant growth in the number of our school leavers going to UCOL and apprenticeship courses through Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). In 2021 there were 181 Old Boys registered with ITOs and completing apprenticeships.

This has been a significant change for the school, and we have had to develop and grow a range of courses to support student destinations – Gateway in particular, as well as Trades Academy (offered by UCOL and PITO) and our own Employment Pathways Programme, which is based on providing opportunities for boys to gain knowledge and experience in the industries identified in the Manawatu Regional Economic Growth Plan.

Gateway sees boys off-site one day per week working with an employer – builder, sparkie, plumber. Gives boys work experience and relevant qualifications.

Trades Academy – boys are at UCOL or with the Primary Industries Training organisation one day per week – gaining skills and qualifications that will lead to employment, often an apprenticeship.

In 2022 we introduced a ‘home room’ for a small number of Year 13 students who were involved with tertiary programmes in which they were off site for two or three days per week with the Primary Industries Training Organisation (PITO). Being involved with these courses makes it very difficult to keep up with class work in other subjects. These boys have individual study plans. This year the homeroom has grown to a total of about 35 boys this year. They are studying with either PITO or are part of the ‘full time’ construction group working on the relocatable homes. They complete maths and English lessons tailored to the industries they are wanting to move into and associated industry unit standards.

We are incredibly lucky to have a significant number of Old Boys who support us in this regard, as well as a rapidly growing number of other businesses in our community.

Agriculture is a big growth area: PITO Trades Academy course (spend one day per week on a farm doing practical work) has been very successful and has grown in numbers significantly since it was introduced three years ago; Agri Business is a new subject in the senior school; Agriculture is offered as a separate subject alongside Horticulture from this year.

School demographics:

1 June this year: 1714 students on the school roll:

NZ European – 773 students – 45%

Maori – 430 students – 25%

Pasifika – 116 students – 7%

Asian – 163 students – 10% (excludes international students, of which we will start 2024 with approximately 30)

More than 60 different ethnic groups are represented among our students.

Co-curricular involvement:

The emphasis on getting involved in school life remains very strong and all teachers and a number of our support staff are involved in providing co-curricular opportunities.

This year we saw a 20% increase in participation - very much bucking the trend nationally and putting numbers above pre-Covid levels in many activities:

Badminton - 102

Basketball - 388

Canoe Polo - 40

Cricket - 237

Football - 235

Hockey - 119

Rugby - 434

Softball - 18

Squash - 34

Table Tennis - 96

Touch Rugby - 147

Volleyball - 120

Water Polo - 20

Earlier this year a PNBHS Athletics team of 94 young men competed at the Manawatū Inter Secondary Schools Athletics Championships with 25 of those young men going on to compete in the North Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships and a large PNBHS team competed in the Manawatū Inter Secondary Schools Cross Country earlier this term.

Additional to this sporting snapshot there are significant numbers of young men involved in Kapa Haka, the Pasifika Club, Junior Musical Theatre (30 young men), The Rector's Company (18), Stage Band, junior and senior Concert Bands, Manifesto, SOAP Choir, Drum Squad as well as a range of other music groups (approximately 200 in total) and 212 young men receiving tuition each week through the itinerant music programme, Vex Robotics (25), Clay Target Shooting, Senior Production (35), debating (22) and a multitude of other activities. We currently have nearly a quarter of all young men in Year 9 involved in one way or another in our music programmes.

National statistics point to declining levels of co-curricular involvement. However, we’re incredibly proud to be bucking that trend.

Statistics from the New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council tell us that about 48% of secondary school teachers were involved with sport in 2000, a figure that has declined to 29% today. At PNBHS 88% of teaching staff are involved with sport and the other 12% with other co-curricular activities – cultural activities, music, robotics, drama, debating etc.

Property

D1 – D5 classrooms have been demolished and new classrooms are currently under construction. There are currently four temporary prefab classrooms along Featherston Street so that we can accommodate classes while this construction takes place, they will be taken away at the end of March next year.

What has stayed the same:

Still have assemblies every morning – nice to get back into this routine after three Covid years. On Monday we begin the week with a karakia instead of the Lord’s Prayer, but the Lord’s prayer is still said at the start of all other assemblies.

A school waiata was written in 2020 and is sung alongside the school song, motto song and national anthem. Usually have singing each Friday at assembly.

Our annual Anzac Service is an important part of the school year and includes a student address focused on our Old Boys. This year we were joined by the family of William Shirley who was with RAF 582 Squadron who flew Pathfinder missions over Germany in the Second World War and died while on a training mission.

We are looking to maintain and build on our traditions as well as recognising the changing world we live in.

Values, discipline, manners, high expectations and hard work remain essential - Nihil Boni Sine Labore.