Kuranui school enjoys success

Two Kuranui College pupils who won scholarships have broken a drought in elite academic achievement for the school at a time when its mounting roll has outstripped ministry forecasts.

"This year's roll is looking very healthy and now stands at 526 students. This is more than the Ministry of Education predicted and slightly up on last year," principal Geoff Shepherd said.

"The healthy state of the roll confirms the confidence that Kuranui parents and the Southern Wairarapa community has in the college, although it has caused some senior classes to be larger than we would like."

Mr Shepherd said a ministry roll count will be completed on March 1 that could lead to extra staffing and a consequent reduction in some class sizes.

Also looking up, he said, are senior students' academic achievement and the overall 2012 NCEA results, which will be finalised at the end of February.

"Indications so far show that they are looking very good in all levels," he said.

"I am particularly pleased with the increased numbers of students who have been endorsed with either Merit or Excellence and I am thrilled to be able to announce that two Year 13 students, Emily Jamieson and Jonas Amann, achieved scholarships in Mathematics with Statistics," he said.

"These are the first scholarships awarded to Kuranui students for a number of years, since Melissa Reeve was awarded a scholarship in drama," Mr Shepherd said.

He said scholarships run alongside normal NCEA examinations and are for students "who want to really push themselves harder and for the most part they are separate courses".

"We had a few students who had a go last year and we're delighted to have had two outstanding results, hopefully the first of many in the coming years," Mr Shepherd said.

"The gauntlet has now been laid down for this year's senior students."

The college held a special Honours Assembly on Monday to celebrate the students who were endorsed with Merit or Excellence at NCEA.

Students who gained 50 credits or more at merit achieved Silver Honours, those who gained over 50 credits at excellence achieved Gold.

A total of 20 Level 1, seven Level 2 and two Level 3 students were awarded Silver and four students at Level 1, seven at Level 2 and one at Level 3 were awarded Gold.

Three former Kuranui Year 13 students - Emily Jamieson, Finn Shepherd and Jessica Swan - were invited back for the morning and were presented with their Gold and Silver badges in front of the college and their parents.