Pta agm report 2016

PTA Report 2016 It is my honour and privilege to have led this high performing and effective school through another year and to be with you this evening to report to the PTA AGM on (some) of the achievements of our multi-talented young women, your daughters.

On the school website at www.tgc.school.nz you will find the Principal’s report for 2015 that was circulated at Academic Prizegiving, beginning with our students’ outstanding achievement against national benchmarks for NCEA and scholarship in 2014 and then touring through some of the many activities and achievements that sit alongside that academic success. I would like tonight to update that report a little in that area.

The complexity and high success of members of our school community is not an accident of talent or circumstance but rather the outcome of a relevant, rigorous and real-world based learning environment. “Empowering tomorrow’s women” is our vision, implemented by what happens here, by design.  NCEA Academic Success 2015/16 Tauranga Girls’ College 2015 Achievement in NCEA and University Entrance Congratulations to students for their achievement in NCEA and University Entrance in 2015. The 2015 NCEA and University Entrance results for Tauranga Girls’ College were very strong and well above the National statistics for all levels of NCEA as well as for University Entrance.

They also compared more than favourably with previous years Level One Results

NCEA Level One 100 80 60

Tauranga Girls' National Girls'

40

Decile Band 4-7 20 0 2011

Tauranga Girls' National Girls' Decile Band 4-7

2012

2011 76 77.3 75.2

2013

2014

2012 83.9 78.9 77.5

2015

2013 84.1 82.6 80.7

2014 82.1 84.2 82.9

2015 87 83.7 82.8

Level Two Results

NCEA Level Two 100 80 60

Tauranga Girls'

40

National Girls' Decile Band 4-7

20 0 2011

Tauranga Girls' National Girls' Decile Band 4-7

2012

2013

2011 90.2 81.9 80.5

2014

2012 89.8 83.6 82.1

2015

2013 92.1 85.7 84.4

2014 93.1 88.1 87.1

2015 89.1 87.4 86.7

Level Three Results

NCEA Level Three 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Tauranga Girls' National Girls' Decile Band 4-7

2011

Tauranga Girls' National Girls' Decile Band 4-7

2012

2011 85.4 75.4 73.1

2013

2014

2012 87.7 76 73.9

2015

2013 84.4 79.2 76.8

2014 84.8 80.4 77.8

2015 90.5 81.3 79.7

University Entrance Results

University Entrance 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Tauranga Girls' National Girls' Decile Band 4-7

2011

Tauranga Girls' National Girls' Decile Band 4-7

2012

2011 72.5 66.8 63.3

2013

2014

2012 80 67.3 64.1

2015

2013 74.1 70.6 66.7

2014 60.3 61.3 56

2015 69.8 61.3 58.5

Student successes – Scholarships 2015/16 To add to our great results in the 2015 NCEA examinations we also had our scholarship outcomes for last year. Our top students gained 15 scholarships in total; 3 of these were outstanding scholarships.

Subjects were Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Dance, Geography, Mathematics with Statistics and Photography, Some other academic highlights have been: • A student top in New Zealand in the ICAS Australasian English Competition • University successes Languages, Economics and Mathematics • Regional and National success in Young Enterprise • Young Innovators, joint supreme winners in the Senior Area • Third year this year that a student from this school represented • NZ in FedEx Competition Congratulations to these girls and thank you to all staff whose leadership and mentoring supported these talented young women in doing so well in these examinations.

Our weekly whakatauki (proverb) is an institution well established in our school and this report is based in the one that goes Waiho ma te tangata e mihi, kia tau ai. It

would be better to let others praise. And from proverbs 27:2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

So I am going to base the rest of my speech in another’s words those of the Education Review Office, National auditor of school performance, taken from the latest ERO report on our school, released last November. Our audit was in August, praising us, and confirms the back ground to the successes listed in the document you have.

ERO conclusions: Tauranga Girls’ College provides students with many academic, cultural, sporting and vocational opportunities within a safe, well-resourced and attractive school environment. Knowledgeable leaders and teachers encourage students to strive for success. Student leadership is fostered across the school. The school is increasing its responsiveness to Māori students and whānau.

So - many academic, cultural, sporting and vocational opportunities.

ERO recognised the diversity of academic success, what happens in every classroom plus things such as our being the:      

Top school in Australasia in the Asia Wise competitions Top in the Bay of Plenty in on-line Science competitions School with the top student in Australasia in the University of New South Wales English competition School with a New Zealand representative to the Fedex competitions in Singapore School that took out 1st 2nd and 3rd placings in both the essay and diary sections of the WWI competitions in March this year School with two student portfolios in the touring excellence in art exhibition from NZQA, from all schools only 60 are selected.

ERO identified our strong culture, the quality of life at TGC, every aspect of student behavior, based in the school values of respect, participation and pride and evident in              

Year 13 Camp Swimming Sports and Athletics days (yes, we have a school pool!)

The Artefact display created by our girls at the Clinical School at the Hospital The Teddy Bear’s Picnic for Gate Pa School Stage Challenge (we won) Combined school production Spamalot Every mufti day that fund raises for our community and supporting achievers in our school The Field of Remembrance and ANZAC Day celebrations The South Island Geography Field trip The Russia / Germany trip in 2015 and the one planned to Greece this year as well as the Music trip to Sydney The Otago University Science wananga All the community Artsfest events Every sport, arts and cultural activity our girls excel at The PTA Fashion Parade

ERO recognised the pathways in all the vocational opportunities here:

       

Trades academies Kaileys Restaurant Gateway Young Innovator awards (Supreme Award winner) Young Enterprise competitions Instep provision of guest speakers and business links Careers advice University papers

a safe, well-resourced and attractive school environment ERO summarised the safety of the learning environment so positively based on their observation of     

The Positive Behaviour for Learning initiative underpinning everything we do Kia Eke Panuku continuing our journey to effective outcomes for all students Tutorial time and the Deans structure promote strong values Strong leadership by students for students The work of the student councils and the Sports / Culture / Arts / team

ERO deemed us to be well resourced on the basis of:       

Modern classrooms Pervasive technology Wireless network SNUP upgrade and network for learning Laptops throughout the school Modern Learning Environment of the Library Dance Studio

ERO found our environments to be attractive both in and out of the classroom:      

Stimulating classrooms Restful, shaded outdoor recreation areas Rose gardens Fields Murals Trees

Knowledgeable leaders and teachers encourage students to strive for success.

ERO recognised the depth of experience and qualifications of our staff, and their commitment to continued learning:    



Experienced senior and middle leaders Professional development leaders Examiners, markers and moderators Teacher-led Innovation fund success (Kylie Valentine and Caroline Gill, winners of funding for the Teacher led Innovation project ‘Holistic learning in the digital now’ for implementation in 2016 Royal Society scholarship successes (Richard Hendra Scholarship Winner Science Teacher Leadership Programme 2015, Rachael Leckie Scholarship Winner Science Teacher Leadership Programme 2015)



Piper Meija, creator and implementer in 2015 of the ‘Authors in Schools’ initiative  Murray Armstrong, initiator and leader of the WW1 Field of Remembrance cross-curricular programme (and organiser of the Russia / Germany Field trip this year)  Carol Ogilvy, teacher of Innovation and supporter of the Young Innovator awards ERO observed the work ethic of our student striving for success      

Excellence endorsements Scholarship success University study University scholarships New Zealand representation Innovation and design success

Student leadership is fostered across the school.

ERO talked to students at all levels. They recognised student leadership in  Mini councils  House competitions  Event organisation  Assembly leadership  Tutorial groups  Extra-curricular sport teams  Cultural groups  Arts activities The school is increasing its responsiveness to Māori students and whānau.

Lastly ERO commented on and commended us on the building of relationships with our community:  Homework centres  Increased communication  On-line links  Consultation processes  Student, parent and whānau voice.  And, of course, our wonderful PTA support, throughout the year!

The whole report can be viewed on our website but the reason I have focussed on this summary tonight is ‘that in building the future we must look to the past’. As we enter 2016 we can be confident that, on the cusp of much change as we implement future directions, we do so from a position of strength. Simply by building on our current directions we can create the deep and long lasting relationships with those who belong to our community that will keep us future and globally focussed as we move into another year.

So thank you, all of you, parents, and PTA members, for your contribution to the college that ERO observed and audited in August! And thank you in advance for the journey you will contribute to in 2016 and beyond.

Pauline Cowens, Principal February 2016