Big jump in high school's NCEA results

HARD WORK: Tikipunga High School principal Alec Solomon says he doesn't see decile rating as a barrier to achievement. PHOTO/JOHN STONE

The tide is turning in Northland as students from some of the poorest schools excel academically despite traditionally low achievement rates.

While students have known their own National Certification of Educational Achievement (NCEA) marks for 2014 since January, the scorecard for schools has only been released this week.

Tikipunga High School, which is decile two, almost doubled the percentage of year 11 students achieving NCEA Level 1 from the previous year.

In 2013 only 50 per cent achieved Level 1 but last year that number was 96.1 per cent.

Tikipunga High principal Alec Solomon said the results were an acknowledgement of the work done since he started at the school in term one last year.

"We're not surprised," Mr Solomon said. "I hope that doesn't sound arrogant but we've worked really hard."

The rate of students achieving Level 2 increased to 84.3 per cent from 64 per cent in 2013. Level 3 also increased to 80.4 per cent from 66 per cent.

In the last year the school had an unapologetic emphasis on learning, Mr Solomon said. "I don't see decile as any kind of barrier."

Another school that punched above its weight was decile one Northland College which has been under Ministry of Education intervention since June 2012.

The school's largest increase was in Level 2 which went from 65 per cent in 2013 to 93.3 per cent last year.

Principal Jim Luders, who has been at the school almost two years, said success was non-negotiable to him. "We're absolutely over the moon," he said.

"That was just a lot of work from staff going way above and beyond," Mr Luders said. Often that meant picking students up from home to go into school and encouraging them when they do not believe they could achieve, he said.

There had also been an emphasis on the gathering of achievement data throughout the year to track how students were going, Mr Luders said.

"Teachers actually realise where the kids are at and you keep inspiring teachers to follow up," he said.

Dargaville High School, decile three, also managed a jump in Level 1 and Level 2 achievement rates, though Level 3 and University Entrance dropped.

Last year 90.4 per cent of the school's year 11 students achieved Level 1, compared to 62 per cent in 2013.

Post Primary Teachers Association Northland central regional chair Adele Towgood said improved NCEA results in Northland schools is a credit to the hard work of dedicated passionate teachers.

"They not only have to do more with less but take the time to run tutorials at lunchtime and after school in their own time," she said.

While the figures showed some schools in Northland achieving at 100 per cent, it could be the result of a small cohort such as one or two students. Similarly, the figures did not take into account students enrolled in a different NCEA level to the one expected of them such as a year 11 student doing NCEA level 2.

The full report on NCEA results from 2014 would be released in May.