Year 13 students from 2025, Ania-Kanu Saklani (drama), Tanyn Wood (English) Zoe Giles (health and physical education) and Charlie Blampied (geography) have been recognised as top secondary school scholars in their respective subjects.
In a statement last month, the school said the New Zealand Scholarship assessments recognised the country’s highest-achieving secondary students.
‘‘To be awarded the New Zealand Scholarship, students must demonstrate deep subject knowledge, advanced critical thinking, and the ability to apply their understanding in complex situations,’’ it said.
Ania-Kanu said the scholarship course was challenging but very fulfilling.
‘‘It gave me a much deeper understanding of how a performance flows,’’ she said.
Tanyn, who is now studying a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Otago said she found the scholarship challenging but believed it prepared her for higher learning across different contexts.
Zoe is now studying health sciences at the University of Otago with the aim of starting physiotherapy next year.
Charlie’s social sciences teacher Lana Whipp said Charlie’s scholarship success was a testament to her analytical rigour and meticulous attention to detail.
‘‘Charlie’s year-long focus on complex data and map interpretation in level three geography ensured she was exceptionally prepared for the exam,’’ she said.
‘‘The Scholarship English workshops were engaging, and I enjoyed discussing the content in more detail,’’ she said.
The scholarship examinations are run by the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.
Students sit the exams in addition to their external examinations at the end of the year.
Students who achieve New Zealand Scholarships can receive a monetary award ranging from a one-off $500 payment for a single subject, to $10,000 per year for up to three years.
