Students, Auckland Sports College

Auckland Sports College - Students

If you have ambitions in sport, or just love playing or even watching, and realise the importance of a second plan A (a career outside of sport) then we have a place for you. We don’t care very much about how you went at your previous school. We do want you to have goals for the future.

There is no other school like us in Auckland. Because we are not an ordinary state school, we can do things differently. Some of the innovations of Auckland Sports College are :

Sport is very important to us. At Auckland Sports College you will be mixing with a number of students on professional pathways. We will work very hard to ensure you have every opportunity to be scouted. We support all sports.
Our gym is open from 7.30am Monday-Saturday, with school starting at 10.00am. There is time for a workout, shower, and breakfast before school. The gym will also be open until 8.30pm at night.
We realise that many students have jobs and sometimes have to work during school hours. We provide learning/catch-up opportunities in the evenings with tutors available some of the time.
We know that at many schools teachers assume that if you are good at sports you are also dumb. We also know that many youth who are good at sports act dumber than they are in the classroom. You will do well at Auckland Sports College. We will get you through your NCEA Levels and prepared for employment, an apprenticeship, or University.
We welcome ‘repeaters’. You are entitled to free education at Auckland Sports College until the end of the year where you turn 19.
Once you turn 18 you are entitled to a student allowance of about $250 per week if your parents earn less than about 110K per year between them. We will help you apply for this. We will also help you get your driver’s licence.
We operate a Positive Youth Development model. No detentions. A huge student voice in decisions that affect students. Our motto is “Moving forward together” and we mean it.

Driver Licences

We are very keen to see students get their learner licence in Year 11 and their full licence in Year 13. In the past we have provided access to practice tests and have taken students to the AA or VTNZ to get their learner licence. Then we have paid for driving lessons and restricted/learner tests.

If we have the funding to continue this we will do so. Otherwise we will partner with a community organisation that has an MSD contract such as Siaola (www.siaola.org.nz).

Student Allowances

Students who aren't working, and whose parents combined income is below the threshhold level are eligible for a student allowance (about $260 per week) if they are aged 18. This is an allowance. It does not have to paid back.

The process is frustrating but we will help students through this.

Achievement

Many students will enter Auckland Sports College without having achieved any NCEA levels. Our approach is to get some credits early and then to build on early gains. So, we offer opportunities for 'lifeskills' credits and for some more vocational or 'sidehustle' credits. Once students have some credits, their confidence grows and they become willing to at least look at credits in English, maths, and science.

The learning priorities are

To achieve Level 1 literacy and numeracy
To progress towards the requirements of NCEA Level 2 or 3 through “life-skills” and “employment readiness” related unit standards
To complete the requirements of NCEA Level 2 or 3 through short ‘side-hustle’ courses that lead directly to casual or part-time employment opportunities. Examples are forklift, barista, bartending, and security courses.
to complete the specific secondary school requirements of the student's chosen career. For example, to be offered an electrical apprenticeship by ETCO a student must have 8 Level 2 credits in each of English, Mathematics, and Science.

Apprenticeships

We anticipate that one-third to one-half of all students at the Sports College will be aiming to become qualified tradespeople.

It is not clear to us that trades academies add value to the student demographic we expect to enrol at the Sports College. The primary goal of a trades academy seems to be to get students through NCEA Level 2. We don't need a trades academy for that.

We are looking to transition students who want to be tradespeople from school to an apprenticeship. A better approach seems to us to be be internships or paid work with employers who take on apprentices each year.

University

We are aiming for 50% of our students in year 13 to be awarded UE, and half of these (25%) to proceed to university, perhaps after a gap year. Support into and through university study will not be the function of the Sports College but we expect to partner with BEWT to manage this transition. However, it will be our responsibility to ensure our students are prepared for university study.

Auckland University of Technology

We have, and have had, students progress to the Bachelor of Sport and Recreation programme at AUT. There is nothing new that Auckland Sports College needs to do to facilitate that transition. One of our original (2019) students who left school with NCEA Level Two completed his Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in 2023.

We have students who have progressed to the Bachelor of Business programme at AUT. There is nothing new that Auckland Sports College needs to do to facilitate that transition.

University of Auckland

We have students who have progressed to the undergraduate Arts, Business, and Law programmes at the University of Auckland. There is nothing new that Auckland Sports College needs to do to facilitate that transition.

Students at Auckland Sports College who have studied NCEA Level 3 statistics with us are prepared for the core Stage 1 Statistics papers, 101 and 125 (and also 150) at the University of Auckland.

Students at Auckland Sports College who have studied NCEA Level 3 physics with us are prepared for the advancing courses 120 and 121. The recommended pre-requisites for these are 9 credits in Level 3 Physics (including the Mechanics external) and passes in the Level 3 differentiation and integration externals. It would be helpful to complete 102 at “summer start”.

Students at Auckland Sports College who have studied NCEA Level 3 calculus with us are well prepared for the advancing first year mathematics papers 120 and 130 at the University of Auckland. There are three tiers of first year mathematics at the University of Auckland. The introductory paper, 102, is a refresher course with some new material. It is suitable for our students who did not sit Level 3 externals in differentiation or integration. The next tier, 108 is for students with 13 credits in Level 3 mathematics including the differentiation external. The advancing courses 120 (Algebra) and 130 (Calculus) are for students with at least 18 credits in Level 3 mathematics, including at least 9 credits at merit or excellence.

In 2025 we are aiming to have 1 or more students complete UE by mid year and enrol in maths 102 and physics 102 at the University of Auckland in Semester 2.

Uniform

We have begun to make decisions about various uniform items.

	blazer (navy blue) shirt (mid blue, long and short sleeve) tie (navy blue, yellow stripe) long pants (black) socks (black) black shoes
	tie
	jersey
	lavalava
	polo
	rugby jersey
	rugby shorts
	training/PE jersey
	training/PE shorts
	scarf

Auckland Sports College

"Moving Forward Together"