St Andrew's College

St Andrew's College St Andrew’s College is an independent co-educational school offering Pre-school to Year 13 education. We welcome day, boarding and international students.

At St Andrew’s College we offer a diverse range of opportunities across academic, sporting, cultural and service areas. At StAC we nurture and challenge pupils to become exceptional achievers.

The AIMS Games once again provided an incredible opportunity for our intermediate-aged athletes to compete against some ...
23/09/2026

The AIMS Games once again provided an incredible opportunity for our intermediate-aged athletes to compete against some of New Zealand’s best, with more than 460 schools and 14,500 athletes taking part.

Throughout the week, our students demonstrated teamwork, independence, resilience, and responsibility, supporting one another while navigating the demands of a tournament environment.

🏑 The Mixed Hockey team achieved a remarkable result, finishing 11th out of 57 teams, the highest placing ever achieved by a St Andrew’s Mixed Hockey side at AIMS.

⚽ Despite facing a particularly challenging pool, our football team showed tremendous character, winning four of their final five matches and demonstrating impressive growth and determination across the week.

We also celebrate several outstanding individual performances: 🏊 Lilly Mackie (Year 7) and Bozan Wang (Year 8) both reached swimming finals and finished among the country's top young swimmers. ⛳ Tristan Bi (Year 7) represented the College in golf, improving steadily throughout the tournament. 🚴 Cole Butler (Year 7) made College history as our first-ever competitor in the BMX competition.

Congratulations to all involved on a memorable week of competition and growth.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week 2026 was celebrated with enthusiasm across St Andrew’s College, as ākonga a...
23/09/2026

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week 2026 was celebrated with enthusiasm across St Andrew’s College, as ākonga and kaiako came together to honour the language, culture, and identity of Aotearoa. 🌿

Throughout the week, students embraced opportunities to use te reo Māori in their everyday learning and conversations, while a range of activities helped bring te ao Māori to life. From Kī-o-Rahi and making whitebait fritters to designing tukutuku patterns, students explored and celebrated Māori culture in meaningful and hands-on ways. Food trucks in the Quad and a special Kapa Haka performance in Chapel added to the vibrant atmosphere across the College. 🎶

As part of the celebrations, our Year 6 ākonga proudly shared their learning with Pre-school tamariki, performing waiata, poi, rākau and haka they had been preparing for the Tūhono Festival. The younger students then joined their tuakana in learning basic poi and rākau movements, creating a special opportunity for connection, leadership, and shared learning across the generations. 🤝

Meanwhile, our Year 1 and 2 students explored the designs and meanings of carved pounamu, creating their own unique designs using air-dry clay. 💚

The week was a wonderful reminder that Te Reo Māori flourishes when it is spoken, heard, and valued, and we are proud to continue fostering these learning experiences across our kura. 🌟

St Andrew’s College was honoured to host the National Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award ceremony, welcoming 90 Gold...
22/09/2026

St Andrew’s College was honoured to host the National Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award ceremony, welcoming 90 Gold Award recipients from across New Zealand.

We were especially proud to celebrate nine members of the St Andrew’s community who received this prestigious award, recognising years of commitment, perseverance, leadership, and service. 👏

The ceremony featured an inspiring address from guest speaker Peter Hillary, who presented the recipients with their Gold Awards. During the ceremony, Chenxiao (Leo) Yang (Year 9) played the piano and Cameron Sharpe (Year 12) piped the official party into the ceremony.

As we celebrated St Andrew’s College’s Winter Tournament Week successes at a special assembly last Friday, three outstan...
22/09/2026

As we celebrated St Andrew’s College’s Winter Tournament Week successes at a special assembly last Friday, three outstanding individuals were recognised with the Rector’s Medal, one of the College’s highest honours.

🏉 Boys’ 1st XV Captain Seymour Stowers-Smith was honoured for his exceptional leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to his team throughout a historic national championship-winning season.

🏉 Head Rugby Coach Willi Heinz received the award in recognition of the culture, belief, and high-performance environment he has built across the rugby programme, helping guide the 1st XV to regional, South Island, and national titles in his first year at the helm.

🎵 Richard Hawke MNZM, Director of Pipe Bands, was recognised for two decades of extraordinary service and leadership, during which he has established one of the world’s premier school pipe band programmes, culminating in sustained national success and a recent third-place finish at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

Congratulations to the three recipients on this richly deserved recognition of their leadership, dedication, and service to St Andrew’s College.👏

The special assembly also honoured the Pipe Band's success at the World Pipe Band Championships, various winter tournament achievements across a variety of sports, and the Ngā Manu Tīoriori Choir, for not only qualifying for the Big Sing Finale, but earning a Silver Award.

Whakamihi to all those recognised for their outstanding achievements and the pride they have brought to the St Andrew’s College community. 💙💛

Congratulations to Dr Brett Clark, Head of Accelerated Learning, on recently receiving the Independent Schools of New Ze...
21/09/2026

Congratulations to Dr Brett Clark, Head of Accelerated Learning, on recently receiving the Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ) Honours Award for his outstanding services to Learning Support.

For more than a decade, Brett has led St Andrew’s College’s Accelerated Learning Programme, transforming the educational journeys of hundreds of young people. Through his unwavering belief in every learner’s potential, he has created a pathway that empowers students with significant learning challenges to achieve academic success, grow in confidence, and build resilience for the future.

This award recognises not only Brett’s outstanding professional expertise, but also the profound difference he has made in the lives of so many students and their families.

Please join us in congratulating Brett on this well-deserved achievement. 👏💙💛

🏅🌟 Celebrating New Zealand and Canterbury representative success!Congratulations to three St Andrew's College students w...
19/09/2026

🏅🌟 Celebrating New Zealand and Canterbury representative success!

Congratulations to three St Andrew's College students who have earned national and regional recognition through their outstanding achievements in sport.

🏉 Metua Cranwell (Year 13) has been selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rugby League team following her performances at the New Zealand Rugby League National Secondary Schools Tournament in Auckland, where she competed as part of a Combined Girls' team. A fantastic achievement and a well-deserved reward for her hard work and dedication.

🐴 Georgia Lewis (Year 13) proudly represented New Zealand at the International Mounted Games World Team Championships in France. Competing on borrowed ponies in temperatures reaching 40°C, the team narrowly missed the A Final before going on to win the B Final. Their performance saw New Zealand finish ninth in the world and as the highest-placed team competing on borrowed ponies.👏

🏃 Theo Nelson (Year 6) has been selected to represent Canterbury at the Inter-Regional Cross Country Championships in Nelson later this month. We wish Theo all the very best as he prepares to compete against some of the country's top young runners.

Congratulations to Georgia, Metua, and Theo on these outstanding achievements. We are proud to see them representing their school, region, and country with such distinction.

Our latest Well-being blog explores Accomplishment, the PERMA-V pillar that focuses on growth, effort, and making progre...
18/09/2026

Our latest Well-being blog explores Accomplishment, the PERMA-V pillar that focuses on growth, effort, and making progress towards meaningful goals. 💙

The blog highlights an important idea: accomplishment is about much more than the final result. While achievements are worth celebrating, the real value lies in the perseverance, learning, and small steps forward that help students develop confidence and resilience. ✨

From Year 3 students creating "slime trails" inspired by My Path, to Secondary School students setting goals using the WOOP framework, students across the College are learning that progress is not about comparison. It's about continuing to move forward, even when the path is challenging. 🐌🎯

Reflecting on recent successes, the blog reminds us that behind every result are hours of practice, setbacks that have been overcome, and countless moments of growth that often go unseen. 🏉🌱

We invite you to take a few minutes to read this insightful blog and reflect on a simple question for parents and whānau:

What small win could you celebrate with your child this week? 💭

Read the blog post: https://stac.nz/Accomplishment

From medical simulations to environmental investigations, students across St Andrew's College have been embracing hands-...
18/09/2026

From medical simulations to environmental investigations, students across St Andrew's College have been embracing hands-on learning opportunities that bring curiosity, creativity, and real-world connections into the classroom. 🔬💡

🩺 Year 13 Biology Extension and Enrichment students recently gained an insight into paediatric healthcare during a visit from Christchurch paediatrician and current parent Dr John Garrett. Students explored a realistic infant medical simulator, learned about clinical procedures including infant intubation, and practised cannulation techniques, connecting their Biology studies with modern medical practice.

💧 Year 8 students have taken part in a Water Challenge unit, where they explored the science of freshwater systems through practical activities, including designing water filtration systems, constructing pipe networks, and investigating local waterways. Their learning concluded in fieldwork at Strowan Stream, where they assessed ecosystem health and considered how communities can help protect freshwater environments.

🔍 Year 8 Science Badge students have been investigating topics of personal interest, developing research questions, testing hypotheses, and presenting their findings using a range of visual and digital tools. The programme has encouraged independent learning while building research, communication, and presentation skills.

🐧 Year 2 students took their learning beyond the classroom as their study of Mr Popper's Penguins inspired an inquiry into Antarctica and its wildlife. After writing letters to Jamie McGaw, a Science Technician at Scott Base, each student received a personal reply complete with photographs and insights into life on the ice. The experience brought their learning to life and showed the power of curiosity, questions, and authentic connections.

A wonderful snapshot of the diverse learning experiences taking place across the College every day. 💙✨

📚✨ Critters and Creatures brought Book Week to life in the Preparatory School!Last week, our Preparatory School students...
17/09/2026

📚✨ Critters and Creatures brought Book Week to life in the Preparatory School!

Last week, our Preparatory School students celebrated Te Wiki o Ngā Pukapuka | Book Week with a fun-filled programme of activities led by the Preparatory School Library team.

Inspired by this year's theme, Critters and Creatures, students enjoyed competitions, story-sharing opportunities, and library sessions exploring the work of a contemporary author through readings, interviews, and creative activities.

A highlight of the week was the Inter-Class Battle of the Books Quiz, with Class 8A taking out the overall title. Students also took part in a Story Walk featuring The Whale and the Snapper by Jo Van Dam, kindly provided by the School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa. 📖🐋

The celebrations concluded with the much-anticipated Book Character Parade through the campus, led by piper William Keir (Year 8), as students and staff dressed as their favourite creatures from literature. 🎭🎶

A wonderful week of reading, creativity, and imagination that celebrated the joy of books and storytelling across the Preparatory School. 💙📚

🏆🎉 More fantastic sporting success! St Andrew’s College students achieved outstanding results across rugby league, bould...
16/09/2026

🏆🎉 More fantastic sporting success! St Andrew’s College students achieved outstanding results across rugby league, bouldering, and cycling at national and regional level.

🏉 Congratulations to Hadassah Timo, Metua Cranwell, and Micahlei Timo (all Year 13), who represented St Andrew’s College in a Combined Girls’ team alongside students from Avonside Girls’ High School and Papanui High School at the New Zealand Rugby League National Secondary Schools Tournament. The team secured an impressive third-place national finish, marking the first time St Andrew’s students have competed at the tournament as part of a Girls’ Combined team. 👏

🚴 Our cyclists produced a series of podium finishes at the Southern Tour, competing against some of the country's top secondary school riders.

Highlights included:
🥉 Cooper Pringle (Year 12), third in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Criterium Championship and fourth overall in the U20 Boys' category
🥉 William Pringle (Year 13), third overall in the U20 Boys' category
🥉 Katalina Williams (Year 10), third in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Criterium Championship and third overall in the U16 Girls' category
⭐ Benji McBride (Year 8), fourth overall in the U14 Boys' category

🧗 Three students travelled to New Plymouth to compete at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Climbing Cup, the national bouldering championship for secondary school students.

Chloe Chuang (Year 9) finished seventh in the Junior Girls division, while Tobin Priestley (Year 10) finished eighth and Samuel Taylor (Year 9) finished 20th in the Junior Boys division. St Andrew's College also finished 12th overall in the Co-educational Schools competition.

Congratulations to all of these students on their excellent achievements. 💙

Address

347 Papanui Road, Strowan
Christchurch
8052

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+6439402000

Website

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