Boys kings of scholarships in Otago

Four years of focus on an academic acceleration programme aimed at extending "gifted" pupils at King’s High School has resulted in its pupils achieving the highest number of NZQA Scholarships in Otago, since the new scholarship system was implemented in 2004.

In the 2016 New Zealand scholarship exams, King’s High School pupils achieved 28 scholarships in total — four of which were outstanding scholarships.

Principal Dan Reddiex said the scholarships were gained by 19 pupils, and were across a ‘‘significant array’’ of subjects.

He made special mention of William Satterthwaite, who achieved an outstanding scholarship in digital technology and was the top scholar award winner for New Zealand.

He also praised Ben Scott who achieved three scholarships (calculus (outstanding), chemistry, physics); Sam Van Der Weerden who achieved three scholarships (chemistry (outstanding), physics, drama); and Callan Carne who achieved scholarships in calculus, chemistry and physics, despite only being in year 12.

But the greatest, and perhaps most unusual, achievement in the exams was by William Scharpf, who achieved a scholarship in calculus at age 14.

Mr Reddiex said William was a year 10 pupil when he sat the exam in 2016. New Zealand scholarship exams are traditionally sat by year 13 pupils.

"The scholarship success has been the result of a conscious and relentless focus on students reaching their academic capability.

"The extension programme that has facilitated this success, spans across the entire five years a student is at school.

"It is essential that students work at a level where they are stimulated and challenged. Therefore, students who exhibit real capability in particular subjects — as early as year 9 — are accelerated."

Mr Reddiex said in year 10, the top 30 pupils did the IGCSE (Cambridge) course, which served as an excellent extension.

"Many of these students will then bypass NCEA level 1 in subjects of strength, doing NCEA level 2, while progressing to level 3 and scholarship as year 12 students."

Mr Reddiex  said the school had a scholarship club for those pupils attempting three scholarships or more.

The club met regularly, both formally and informally, hearing from guest speakers and gaining insights into succeeding in NZ Scholarship exams.He said King’s High School was also the only school in Otago to offer scholarship-specific classes.

"Students are extended and flourish in this environment which is created to extend their critical thinking and analysis skills."

He said the programme set up each accelerated pupil with an individual education plan. The  progress of pupils was monitored and the parents were consulted regularly.

"The introduction of an academic dean and scholarship-specific classes in 2014 were calculated risks and the success of these initiatives has been borne out in the scholarship results in the last two years.

"I couldn’t be more proud of the boys and staff, both in terms of their achievement and the commitment required to succeed at this level."

Other Otago secondary school pupils achieving top subject scholarship awards were St Hilda’s Collegiate School pupil Amy Jones for painting, and Wakatipu High School pupil Meg Jolly for photography.

The pupils were among 597 Otago pupils to sit New Zealand Scholarship examinations in 2016, and among 146 in Otago to receive a New Zealand Scholarship.

Pupils sitting the exams are assessed on their ability to demonstrate high-level critical thinking, abstraction and generalisation.

Successful pupils are those who can also integrate, synthesise and apply knowledge, skills, understanding and ideas to complex situations.

NZQA deputy chief executive Kristine Kilkelly said scholarship was regarded as the most prestigious secondary school award in the country.

"It is designed to extend the very best students and to financially reward those who are going on to full-time tertiary study in New Zealand."

john.lewis@odt.co.nz