View from the playing fields to Rangitoto IslandThe maths building of Rangitoto College
Rangitoto College is a state coeducational secondary school, located on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. Serving years 9 to 13, Rangitoto has a school roll of 3457 as of April 2023,[2] making it the largest "brick-and-mortar" school in New Zealand (only The Correspondence School is larger, with 7533 students). Patrick Gale is the current principal.[3]
Rangitoto College opened in 1956, with an initial roll of 180 Year 9 and 10 students (then known as Forms 3 and 4).[4] A block and D block are the school's two original buildings; these are standard school buildings of the "1950s Single Storey" type, with long single-storey blocks of classrooms orientated east-west with a corridor connecting the classrooms on the south side.[5]
Enrolment
Like many secondary schools in Auckland, Rangitoto operates an enrolment scheme to help curb roll numbers and prevent overcrowding. Rangitoto's enrolment zone, in which students residing are automatically entitled to be enrolled without rejection, covers approximately 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi), and includes Browns Bay, Campbells Bay, Mairangi Bay, Murrays Bay, Pinehill, Rothesay Bay, Sunset North, and Windsor Park, and parts of Meadowood and Rosedale east of the Auckland Northern Motorway.[6] Students residing outside the zone are accepted as roll places allow per the enrolment scheme order of preference and secret ballot.
As of March, 2021, Rangitoto College had 3284 students enrolled. Of the students, 1578 were Pākehā/European, 1165 were Asian, 198 were Māori, 65 were Pasifika, 87 were International Students, 159 were MELAA, and 32 students were from other ethnicities and demographics.[7]
Rangitoto College has a socio-economic decile rating of 10 (step Z), meaning it draws its school community from areas of highest socio-economic strata when compared to other New Zealand schools.[8]
Recent principals
In mid-2005, principal Allan Peachey stood down in order to stand as a National Party candidate for election to Parliament. Alison Cleland took over as principal in the interim.[9] As a result of Peachey's election as the Member of Parliament for the Tamaki electorate, David Hodge, a former student at Rangitoto College, was appointed as Principal in 2006, but left in 2017.[10] Patrick Gale is the current principal.[3]
Facilities
Auditorium
The Rangitoto College Auditorium has a seating capacity of 960 people and is equipped with audiovisual and lighting systems, making it suitable for a wide range of events. The auditorium also has a spacious stage with backstage facilities for performers, including dressing rooms and storage space.
Library
The Rangitoto College Library is a modern facility that offers a wide range of resources and services to support students and staff in their academic pursuits. The library has a large collection of books, magazines, journals, and online resources, including e-books and databases.
Sports Fields
The main sports fields at Rangitoto College include a full-size artificial turf hockey field and several grass fields for sports such as soccer, rugby, and cricket. The school is located near the AUT Millennium, which also has a running track, long jump pit, and other facilities for athletics events.
Gymnasium
The main gymnasium at Rangitoto College is a large and modern facility that is equipped with a range of equipment and facilities for sports such as basketball, volleyball, and badminton. It also has a fitness centre and space for other activities.
In addition to the main gymnasium, the school also has two smaller gymnasiums that are used for junior sports and physical education classes.
Academic performance
Rangitoto College is a decile 10 school, meaning that, as the ERO (Education Review Office) puts it, Rangitoto draws its students from an area of 'least socio-economic disadvantage'. The data show that it performs at, or above, the average level for decile 10 schools nationally. Like other decile 10 schools, Rangitoto performs better than schools from areas of greater socio-economic disadvantage.
Prior to Bursary being replaced by the National Certificate of Educational Achievement Rangitoto had at least one student recognised as New Zealand's top scholar in a subject between 2001 and 2003; in 2003 Rangitoto had three four top-scholars including top all-round Female Māori Scholar. 5. In 2006 a Rangitoto College student was named "Top Scholar in New Zealand" for the subject of history in 2006 based on the NCEA framework.[11]
In 2013, 94.4 percent of students leaving Rangitoto College held at least NCEA Level 1, 89.5 percent held at least NCEA Level 2, and 76.3 percent held at least University Entrance. This is compared to 85.2%, 74.2%, and 49.0% respectively for all students nationally.[12]
In 2021, Rangitoto College students collectively achieved 244 scholarship passes in the New Zealand Scholarship exams which included 34 "Outstanding" passes. Sixteen students gained four or more scholarship passes, with a further fourteen students gaining three scholarship passes. Six students gained Outstanding Scholar Awards (~60 nationwide) and one student, with ten scholarship passes, gained a Premier Scholar Award (Top ~12 nationwide).[13][14] The Premier Award winner was also the Top Subject Scholar for Art History, Geography, and Statistics while one of the Outstanding award winners was the Top Subject Scholar for Health & Physical Education.[15][16] This placed the school as the top scholarship school in New Zealand for the fourth year in a row.[17]
