Dedication drives up achievement

Rotorua Girls High School principal Ally Gibbons is flanked by Victoria Thompson (left) and Montana Mareroa, who both achieved excellence in NCEA Level 2 results.

Huge improvement thanks to solid mentoring at Rotorua Girls High recognised by Education Minister.

Students at a Bay of Plenty high school were so determined to pass NCEA they stayed after hours, during the holidays - and in some cases even after the year was over - to make it through.

The dedication of everyone at Rotorua Girls High School has been rewarded with not only excellent results, but a letter from Education Minister Hekia Parata congratulating the school on its improvement.

"It's an awesome shift," said principal Ally Gibbons. "We are really pleased because that's our core business, raising student achievement, and the letter from the minister confirms we are doing that."

The school's Level 1 results jumped 14 per cent from last year to a 93 per cent pass rate this year. At Level 2, the biggest improvement, results increased to 97 per cent achievement, up 23 per cent. And 68 per cent of students passed at Level 3.

Mrs Gibbons said the results were achieved by "putting faces to the data" and zeroing in on students who needed help.

"We tracked the students really vigorously last year. We would then have meetings with staff, looking at programmes, and making sure there was good mentoring," she said.

The dedication to getting as many students across the NCEA Level 2 line - considered the most important benchmark for school leavers - was such that students would stay late, and attend holiday programmes.

"Some even came in after the year was over to try and pick up the last of their credits," Mrs Gibbons said.

While the school's rate of attainment at University Entrance level was lower, the principal said that was partly because of the changes to UE requirements.

The school's deputy head girl, Victoria Thompson, 17, was one of the high achievers at Level 2, getting her subjects endorsed with excellence.

"The year before, I got a merit endorsement. But I knew I could do better and all my teachers encouraged me - they said I had the ability - and it made me try harder."