Quality teachers the secret to achievement

North Shore schools are celebrating their NCEA results with several attributing them to hard-working teachers.

Results were released midApril and the North Shore Times looked at results for all high schools on the Shore apart from Pinehurst School and City Impact Church School which both teach Cambridge.

Kristin School in Albany achieved the highest pass rates at NCEA level 1 and 2 with a 99 per cent and 100 percent pass rate respectively while the highest pass rate at level 3 went to Rosmini College with 96.

Decile 9 school Carmel College brought in the highest number of excellence endorsements across all levels with 54 per cent of level 1 students receiving excellence endorsements, 57 per cent of level 2 students and 38 per cent at level 3.

The highest number of excellence endorsements behind Carmel College was Takapuna Grammar with 35 and 32 per cent at levels 1 and 2 respectively, then Rangitoto and Rosmini colleges with 19 per cent at level 3.

Carmel College principal Chris Allen attributes pass rates to ‘‘professional and dedicated staff’’.

‘‘They do give up a lot of extra time and effort to give these kids the extra tuition they want,’’ Allen says. ‘‘We’ve had a culture of high achievement at Carmel for years and it seems to be getting better and better.‘‘

She says there’s always room for improvement and the school will look to maintain their current results.

Rosmini College principal Nixon Cooper also attributes low failure rates to teachers putting in time with ‘‘at-risk’’ students. He says the school’s smaller size also makes it easier to get to know students and the focus for 2017 is raising the number of endorsements.

Kristin School’s director of marketing Mark Reynolds says the students’ results are a ‘‘testament to the diligence and enthusiasm’’ of both students and teachers.

Glenfield College showed a marked improvement in results from 2015 to 2016 with the arrival of new principal CJ Healey.

In a year, pass rates jumped from 83 to 93 per cent at level 1, 81 to 95 per cent at level 2 and 69 to 94 per cent at level 3.

Despite boasting a 90.4 per cent pass rate at level 2, Albany Senior High School ranked second to last in terms of achievement at that level in decile 10 schools around the nation.

Likewise, Westlake Boys High School had the fourth lowest achievement at level 2 in decile nine schools around the country but still had an 88.3 per cent pass rate.

Only half of the students studying level 1 at Hato Petera College passed, but this improved at level 2 with 73 per cent achieving and 18 per cent getting merit endorsements. At level 3, 83 per cent passed.

Most Shore schools are decile 9 and 10, with the exception of Hato Petera, Glenfield, Birkenhead and Northcote colleges.

To look at and compare schools and academic results from around the Shore and the country, see School Report at stuff.co.nz/ interactives/ schoolreport.