Saint Kentigern College

Description

Situated on a beautiful park-like campus, Saint Kentigern College for students in Years 7 – 13 (ages 11 to 18) is an Independent Presbyterian school, offering the very best in private education for girls and boys.

We currently have students from as far afield as Germany, Russia, China, Korea, Thailand and the Pacific Islands in our boarding house. You can be assured that you will receive the very best care and attention.

Living alongside our New Zealand students, it doesn’t take long for our international students to settle in, make friends and come to appreciate the many benefits of studying in New Zealand

At Saint Kentigern College, international students can expect the very best education, taught by dedicated teachers who embrace our Christian values and family atmosphere.

Students become part of a busy, vibrant, close-knit community and are offered a ‘world of opportunity’ in academic, cultural, sporting and service activities. 

We have very high expectations for all of our students to become involved in all facets of school life

We recognise that international students have many different reasons for choosing to study away from home but a key factor is a search for a world-class education that will prepare students for successful tertiary study or work in an English-speaking country. The College offers a broad range of subjects for students at all levels. From languages to sciences, applied mathematics, media studies, technology and classics to physical education, music and dance - our students are not short of choices as they enter their senior school years. Our world-class facilities are very well equipped and allow for extensive practical involvement. With the benefit of a personal computer laptop programme, our students are introduced to subject learning styles in a multitude of ways.

In recognition that boys and girls learn differently in their early teens, and often achieve better outcomes in single-gender classrooms, the College operates a very successful parallel education learning model for our students in Years 7-10.

In Years 7-10, boys and girls are taught separately, allowing our younger students to learn in an environment best suited to their different development needs during those crucial, early teenage years.

In Years 11-13, our young men and women work together in a co-educational setting, developing teamwork and collaborative skills that prepare them for tertiary education and life beyond our College gates.

During Year 11, all students complete their NCEA Level 1 qualifications. In Year 12, our senior students are offered a choice of qualifications and may elect to continue with NCEA qualifications or pursue the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma course.

Programs

We have high expectations of all our students and we are proud to be placed, year after year, amongst the top performing academic schools in New Zealand.

All students in Year 11 undertake NCEA Level 1 qualifications. At the end of Year 11, Saint Kentigern offers senior students a choice of academic pathways. As an IB World School, our students in Years 12 and 13 can elect to either study towards an International Baccalaureate Diploma or the New Zealand qualification, NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement). Whichever qualification a student chooses, you can be assured they will be very well prepared for life beyond the College.

The College offers a broad range of subjects that prepare students well for tertiary education and beyond. Our students are not short of choices as they enter their Senior School years and they are well prepared to command advantageous places at top universities in both New Zealand and overseas.

Our commitment to the academic success of each student is clear; the best teaching staff, specialised learning environments and ‘a world of opportunity’ in our academic and co-curricular programmes to prepare our young men and women for the future.

The Saint Kentigern College Course Handbook provides an enormous amount of detailed information about the core curriculum and the range of optional subject choices available at each Year level of the College.

Students intending to study in New Zealand can be assured of achieving qualifications that are of a standard comparable to qualifications achieved in leading educational institutions in other parts of the world.

The academic year in New Zealand runs from January to December with four terms a year. School holidays occur in April, July and October along with the extended summer break over December/January. Students are expected to return home for calendared school holidays.

Secondary study is five years long, from Year 9 to Year 13 (13-18).

In New Zealand, classes are divided into year levels beginning with Year 1 for students who have turned five and finishing with students graduating from Year 13 when they are 17-18 years of age.

• Years 1-6 are Primary School years
• Years 7-8 are Intermediate School years
• Years 9-13 are Secondary School years

Saint Kentigern College has provision for students from Year 7-13 (11-18).

New Zealand's secondary schools offer national qualifications that are recognised by universities and other tertiary institutions both in New Zealand and internationally.

The main secondary school qualification in New Zealand is the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (most commonly referred to as NCEA), although schools can also elect to offer other alternative qualifications.

Saint Kentigern College offers both NCEA and the International Baccalaureate Diploma to give students a choice of qualification to suit their style of study.

New Zealand secondary schools offer a great range of co-curricular programmes in music, drama and sports as well as excellence in academic studies. Students studying in New Zealand find that the lifestyle is relaxed yet expectations to work hard and achieve are high.