James Hargest students score exam honours

An Invercargill student, who hopes to be an aeronautical engineer, is the No 1 New Zealand student for year 13 English exams.

The exams were conducted by the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) organisation.

Declan Cruickshank’s career aspirations include being an aeronautical engineer or a pilot in the air force.

‘‘The exam was not too difficult,’’ Cruickshank, 18, said.

‘‘I thought I had done all right but it was still a surprise [to be top student].’’

The success capped a memorable year for him, as he was also the head boy at James Hargest College’s senior campus.

‘‘It’s been great and a good way to round off my time at school.’’

He will leave Invercargill in January to study engineering at the University of Canterbury. That month he will also sit an Air Law exam as a first step towards gaining a private pilot’s licence.

Since 2009, Cruickshank has been a member of the Young Eagles programme run by Southern Wings in Invercargill.

Another of his interests – playing the bagpipes – has taken him to competitions in Australia, Scotland and throughout New Zealand. He is in his eighth year with the City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band.

He and his brother Finn, 16, were invited to play in the Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band at the World Championships in Scotland in August.

Meanwhile, a James Hargest College junior campus student, Alex Scarlett, was first equal in the country for the year 7 digital technologies exam conducted by ICAS. It was the first time Alex, 12, had entered the ICAS exams, his mother Linda Scarlett said.

Alex enjoyed school work and learning about new things, she said. ‘‘He’s always been one to ask a lot of questions . . . and is fascinated by computers in general.’’