New Zealand’s biggest boarding school, St Peter’s, Cambridge started 2017 on a high with enrolments well ahead of previous years and more to come.
Principal Dale Burden cites the enormous opportunities for students at St Peter’s – access to highly qualified staff, world-class facilities, a choice of curriculum, more than 30 sporting options and one of the best performing arts faculties in the country – as the primary reasons a place at the school is so sought after.
Four-hundred-and-fifty out of 1,100 students at St Peter’s are boarders.
To meet the demand for local and boarding students, St Peter’s has two new extensions to boarding underway, with plans to expand the day house facilities. An additional day house and another new boarding house are possibilities.
“St Peter’s offers a genuine holistic education and numerous opportunities for students,” says Dale.
“And it’s world-class opportunities that parents are increasingly wanting for their children – opportunities that the state simply cannot provide.”
Dale moved to St Peter’s last year, after 10 years as headmaster at Mount Albert Grammar School. The opportunities he refers to are smaller class sizes, outstanding teachers, individual care and attention, extensive outdoor education opportunities and world-class facilities.
The school also offers a choice of qualifications – the national NCEA and the International Baccalaureate (IB). “St Peter’s offers a genuine dual pathway. We treat each qualification the same. While IB has some clear differences, essentially the philosophy that underpins both NCEA and IB is very similar,” explains Dale.
St Peter’s started 2017 with more change at the top, following the retirement of some senior staff at the end of last year. The new associate principal, Julie Small comes from a similar position at Mount Roskill Grammar and new deputy principal Greg Haines comes from St Kentigern College. They join 20 new teachers at the school, many in new positions to meet the growth in enrolment.
“The quality of our academic staff for 2017 is outstanding. We attracted excellent candidates for every vacancy. The drawcard of St Peter’s was one factor, but so was the attraction of living in Cambridge or Waikato. While a number of new staff are from Auckland, there are also some New Zealanders returning home from overseas and they see Cambridge as a great place to raise their children.”
Innovation continues at St Peter’s with the introduction of four new sports academies in football, netball, cricket and rugby. High-profile coaches are leading these new academies, including former All White and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert, Olympian cyclists Tim and Fiona Carswell, Northern Districts cricket coach Owen Steverson, former Waikato/BOP Magic netballer Amigene Metcalfe and former Chiefs rugby player Sean Hohneck.
Arts at St Peter’s continues to provide amazing opportunities in music, drama and dance. “When you put all three together, our annual production is world-class. This year’s Starlight Express was quite simply the best school production I have ever been to,” says Dale.
“Our ability to empower every student, be they academic, sporting or creative, is what makes St Peter’s unique.”
Experience our school’s unique environment and world-class facilities.
Open days: Fri 18 August 2017 9.45am
Sun 12 November 2017 1pm
Register at: openday@stpeters.School.Nz
stpeters.school.nz
YEARS 7–13 | CO-EDUCATIONAL | DAY AND BOARDING
Small class sizes | Specialist teachers | Modern facilities | Sports academies | Dual academic pathway NCEA and International Baccalaureate
stpeters.school.nz
