Western Springs College
Western Springs College, known to those who teach and learn here as ‘Springs’, occupies a special place in New Zealand’s educational landscape. We characterize ourselves as a ‘waka hourua’ – a double hulled canoe of English medium and Māori medium education. The ‘Springs’ English medium school of 1400 students and the Māori medium rumaki immersion school, Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, of 300 students enables us to be doubly effective within the context of 21st century New Zealand Society.
If you had to choose one word to describe Springs, ‘real’ would be a good choice. We encourage academic achievement not as a prize fight, but because it opens doors that allow our students to follow any pathway they choose. We’re actively engaged with the communities we serve and the tertiary establishments that accept our graduates. And we attract teachers who are in the business of teaching, rather than enforcing rules for the sake of rules. Most of all, we understand that standing still is never an option. When proven educational innovations show us a better way, our students and teaching staff are keen pioneers.
Our school has completed the largest rebuild in the history of New Zealand secondary education. The result is a “school like no other”. A truly exceptional piece of architecture designed to change the way we think about pre-university learning environments. In fact, visitors tell us that Springs “looks like a University. “There is no way this is a school!” is their response as they experience this place for the first time.
A school within a school
Western Springs College and Ngā Puna O Waiōrea operate collaboratively from one location. Ivan Davis is principal of Western Springs College, a state co-educational secondary school; Chris Selwyn is principal of Ngā Puna O Waiōrea, a Te Reo Maori immersion kura. Students flow between the schools, according to their year level and course choices.
Our students
From the moment of enrolment, Springs’ students are encouraged to become self-managers. This helps them to hit the ground running when they move to university or a traineeship on their chosen career path. However self-management doesn’t come naturally to everyone, so we have support systems in place that encourage mentoring and vertical friendships across the ages. As well as providing new students with effective role models who can gently train them in the art of self-management, cross connections between ages and stages help to build a family atmosphere within the school.
We are committed to mixed-ability teaching at all levels because we believe it’s important to have high expectations for all students. Young people tend to learn in bursts and are intelligent in different ways, so we think it’s irresponsible to limit anyone with an ability label. Experience has taught us that some students peak early, while others are slow burners who’ll rise in the future.
Thanks to the diligence of our students, Western Springs College has been the top NZ Decile 8 state secondary school for seven consecutive years. We’ve also been the top (first or second rating) Auckland region state secondary school for seven consecutive years. Our Level 3 NCEA pass rate is 90%, compared to the national average of 82%.