We would prefer a Kelston site for the main Auckland Sports College campus.
We are very familiar with the area. Two members of our Advisory Board are former presiding members of the Kelston Boys'
High School Board of Trustees. We are already engaged with a number of current and recent Kelston Boys' High School
students. At this stage we would open Auckland Sports College in Kelston as a year 9-15 boys' school, with a view to
becoming co-educational after a few years.
We project a roll of 1,000 at a Kelston campus of Auckland Sports College because that is roughly how much the rolls
of the two state secondary schools have fallen in an area with a growing population.
In 2000 the roll of Kelston Girls' College was 861 with 229 European students. In
2023 the roll was 496 with 9 European students. In a 2018 NZ Herald article a Samoan
mother explained why her daughter took the bus past Kelston Girls' College to
Avondale College every day. She said "Why would I take my child to a local school that I know is not the greatest, when I can give her better?" and "It depends what crowd you put your child in. I drive through Kelston and I'm thinking like, Oh no, I don't want my child to go there"
Kelston
Boys' had 1,250 students at its peak in the 1980s, 1,100 students in 2010, and 600 in 2022.
White flight from the boys' school has been pronounced.
There were 371
European students in 2000, but only 22 in 2023.
Benefits for the local community and the secondary school network
The falling rolls and white flight from both Kelston Boys' High School and Kelston Girls' College,
together with the very low academic achievement of Kelston Boys' is well recognised.
The Kelston (now Kerehana) Vision Project which commenced in 2019 aimed
to strengthen schooling in Kelston. A key part of the plan developed after community consultation was for
the two secondary schools to co-locate. The community preference, by a narrow margin was for Kelston Girls' College to
move into the Kelston Boys' High School site, while retaining its separate identity.
The latest (June 2024) Ministry report on the project is
here
The Ministry has put the relocation of Kelston Girls' College on hold having decided it is too expensive,
although the estimated costs have been redacted from the June 2024 Ministry briefing note to the Minister.
We see several benefits of Auckland Sports College being located on the Kelston Girls' College site. They include
Improved academic attainment for boys. Since the Kerehana Vision Project began, the proportion of students at Kelston Boys' who achieve University Entrance has fallen. In the years
2019-2023 an average of 14.2% of Pacific
Year 13 students at Kelston Boys' High School were awarded University Entrance. This was down from an average of 19% in the years
2014-2018, and is half the national average for male Pacific students in Year 13.
An average of 29% of Pacific Year 13 students at Auckland Girls' College have been awarded UE each year for the last 10 years. This is
the average rate at which Pacific Y13 students were awarded UE in 2023 across New Zealand.
A secondary school option for boys that does not have either the rugby union focus or the perceived violence and bullying of Kelston Boys' High School
Better use of property resources. Over half the 2,600 students at Avondale College are 'out of zone'. So while more classrooms have been required at
Avondale College, there are spare classrooms at the Kelston secondary schools.
We will enrol students who are not welcome at Kelston Boys' High School.
This year the
school has declined the re-enrolment of one of 'our' boys who wished to repeat Year 13 in order to
obtain UE. He turned 18 in February 2024. The principal emailed his mother saying "With an attendance rate
of 46% and a list of pastoral records, it was evident that Pita did not prioritise his learning. As such,
I will not be considering Pita's re-enrolment." The principal's decision was supported by the Ministry of
Education. Student achievement cannot increase if schools refuse to enrol students. 2024 has been something of a
gap year for Pita, but he can work toward UE with us in 2025.
Another Year 10 student, another member of the school's U15A rugby team, thinks he will be kicked out of the school
soon for repeated instances of bullying and fighting. We would have no hesitation in enrolling him as, in our experience,
that sort of rubbish behaviour is easily managed by pressure from teammates and coaches.
A lift in the reputation of the Kelston secondary schools with Auckland Sports College, a blazer and tie school added to the mix
Option One: Auckland Sports College co-locates with Kelston Girls' College, with both colleges maintaining their separate identities
We have been reminded that there was considerable community support for Kelston Boys' moving back into the Kelston Girls' College campus.
Option Two: Kelston Girls' College co-locates with Kelston Boys', and Auckland Sports College occupies the empty Kelton Girls' site
This would require that the Ministry revive the project to co-locate the two existing Kelston secondary schools.
The key logistical issue seems to be one of classroom space.
In 2023 Kelston Boys High School had a roll of 673, and had 44 classrooms, 9 more than its
entitlement (https://property.education.govt.nz/spg/school/83). The roll included 111 out-of
zone students. In 2023 Kelston Girls’ College had a roll of 490 including 93 out-of-zone students.
Should the schools share the Kelston Boys’ site, the combined roll on co-location would be
approximately 1,163 (959 in-zone and 204 out of zone) in the 44 classrooms of Kelston Boys’ High School. However, there will be some drift
of boys to Auckland Sports College. A roll of 959
would generate an entitlement to something like 47 classrooms. Papakura High School with a
roll of 906 had an entitlement of 44 classrooms in 2023. A roll of 1,163 would entitle the combined school to approximately
55 classrooms. Rotorua Boys' High School with a roll of 1,125 has an entitlement to 53 classrooms.
Our initial thought is that if a double-story eight classroom block was transported to Kelston Boys' (see smartbuilt.co.nz for example)
there would be 52 classrooms, an adequate number for the combined school if its roll is less than 1,100 students. If the roll is greater, it may be
that the combined school has to reduce its out-of-zone enrolments, or even
that Year 12 and 13 Kelston Girls' students finish their secondary schooling at the Kelston Girls' site.
There would be some costs of co-location. Girls' toilets for example. But it is difficult to see these as
prohibitive.
The Kelston Girls' College campus
The Kelston Girls' College site has sports fields, a swimming pool, courts (one of which we might repurpose
for basketball) and a full complement of buildings.
The Kelston Girls' College buildings are in need of significant maintenance work. There are watertightness issues
with mould present. A roof replacement project is currently underway.
Impact on Kelston Boys' High School
We have heard on the grapevine that Kelston Boys' is concerned that
Auckland Sports College will 'poach' some of its best athletes. Our concern is that students at Kelston Boys' currently have to chose between the 1st XV and University Entrance. We have been unable to engage with either the principal or the Board of Kelston Boys'. A number of teaching staff have indicated that
they will apply for positions at a Kelston campus of Auckland Sports College.
Auckland Sports College would increase the educational achievement of students at Kelston Boys' High School. This is because we will operate
until 8.30 at night with the gym open, tutoring
available, and dinner provided. Kelston Boys' students will be
welcome. Our experience has been that there will be significant uptake with boys
dropping in after training. This will resolve the dilemma of one current year 10 Kelston Boys' out-of-zone student and member of the school's U15A rugby team who
said "I want to come to you for learning, but I need to stay at Kelston for rugby".
Although there will be many areas of overlap between the two boys' schools, there are some areas where we will not
duplicate what is offered at Kelston Boys'. These include
Maori, Samoan, or Tongan bilingual units
vocational pathways
Gateway
Services Academy
Health Science Academy
Consultation
We have engaged with the PPTA and look forward to engaging with local secondary school teachers through that contact.
We emailed the Boards of Kelston Girls' College and Kelston Boys' High School on Monday 18 November 2024 asking if we could attend and speak at a Board meeting to discuss the
establishment of Auckland Sports College as a charter or designated character school on the Kelston Girls' College site. Kelston Boys' replied and
said "we are unable to accommodate your request to speak."
We sent a similar email to the Board of Avondale College on 21 November as the establishment of Auckland Sports College in Kelston is likely to reduce out-of-zone enrolments at Avondale College.
The local primary schools are Glen Eden School, Glendene School, Kelston School,and St Leonards Road School. The local intermediate school is Kelston Intermediate. We will approach the Boards of these schools once
we have had an initial meeting with the Boards of Kelston Boys' and Kelston
Girls'.
The Kelston zone includes New Lynn, and for many residents in that suburb Avondale College is both their closest secondary school and on the way to work for parents. We will attempt to engage with the New Lynn and Kelston communities.
