Cambridge High School, New Zealand
| Cambridge High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
Swaynes Road, Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand | |
| Information | |
| Type | State Co-ed Secondary (Year 9-13) |
| Motto | Fortiter et recte to have the strength to do the right thing |
| Established | 1883 (closed 1887 between 1902) |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 142 |
| Principal | Phil McCreery |
| School roll | 1168 |
| Socio-economic decile | 9[1] |
| Website | www.camhigh.school.nz |
Cambridge High School is a state secondary school in the Waikato town of Cambridge. Otherwise unremarkable, it was thrust into national prominence during the tenure of principal Alison Annan.
Pre-Annan
Many claim that Cambridge High School, in the 'pre-Annan' period, was a rough school, and had earned itself the nickname "Cannabis High". Many students in the region chose to bus to schools in Hamilton instead of their local high school.[citation needed]
100% success rate
The school came under fire after it had maintained a 100% pass rate for two years in a row in NCEA (National Certificate in Educational Achievement) exams, and attracted a lot of media attention amid claims of teacher bullying and manipulation of the students' exam results.
Achievement Recovery Room
Close attention was paid to the so-called 'Achievement Recovery Room'. Students who were regarded as slow were pulled out of mainstream classes and put into Achievement Recovery. There they could catch up on work they missed, until they were up to speed with other pupils. The current affairs program '60 Minutes' highlighted claims that teachers who were put in charge of Achievement Recovery had written assessment answers on the board for students to copy.
Inquiries and Departure
Claims of teacher bullying and manipulation of school results led to an investigation by the Ministry of Education. The subsequent report revealed flaws in Mrs Annan's tactics and problems with the school such as poor facilities. After pressure from those in charge of the investigation, Mrs Annan announced her resignation as principal on Friday 13 August 2004. When students were informed at a hastily-called assembly, many junior students greated this announcement with cheers. The large majority of the senior school were left feeling distraught and disillusioned. Great sympathy was then shown when on the 16th almost the entire school marched downtown and back in her support, but not before doing a traditional haka outside her home.
Post-Annan
Since Mrs Annan's departure the school has seen several transformations. This includes the restoration of its library, which was dismantled only a couple of years before, and some changes to other school structures such as after school detentions for minor infringments.
Notes
References
- "Cambridge High School" (2004) - 60 Minutes, TV 3
- "Parents home in on strict school". New Zealand Herald. 28 January 2004. Retrieved 2006-01-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Ex-head gets six of the best over conflict of interest". New Zealand Herald. 16 November 2005. Retrieved 2006-01-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Cambridge High moving forward". New Zealand Herald. 8 December 2005. Retrieved 2006-01-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Trivial typing errors and more". Russell Brown's Hard News. 17 August 2004. Retrieved 2006-01-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Controller and Auditor General's Report (accessed 17 January 2006)
- Cambridge High ERO reports (accessed 17 January 2006)