ACG Senior College
| ACG Senior College | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
66 Lorne Street, Central Auckland, New Zealand. | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private Senior School, Years 11 to 13 |
| Motto | Redefine Success |
| Established | 1995 |
| Principal | Kathleen Parker |
| Socio-economic decile | 10 |
| Website | acgedu.com/nz/senior |
ACG Senior College is a private senior high school and part of Academic Colleges Group New Zealand. Located in the the Auckland CBD, the college is within walking distance of Britomart, Auckland's main transport hub. Students enjoy access to all that the central city has to offer, from The Auckland City Library opposite the school to the open spaces that are Aotea Square and Albert Park. Other noteworthy close facilities include AUT, the University of Auckland and the Auckland Art Gallery.[1]
School Life
ACG Senior College is a senior secondary college for year 11-13 students. It does not require students to wear a uniform[2] but there is a dress code which students are expected to adhere to. Classes commence at 8.30am and concludes at 4.35pm from Monday to Thursday. On Friday, all classes conclude at 3.05pm. Unlike many other high schools around the country, Senior College has five periods per day, each lasting 80 minutes. Despite common misconception, the current students are not all "brilliant". Many students have had an average academic record to date but are prepared to work hard and excel. Only a very small percentage are gifted students. There are non-contact times where the students are free to make the decisions about how to spend it; although most students choose to study in the library as it is a quiet working area. Should a student require extra help, their subject teacher has their teaching timetable on their door indicating the times they are free to give one on one tuition. Some students will sit mid-year examinations such as IGCSE Language and Music. The College has a tutor system where every student is assigned a tutor who oversees their academic progress and supports them pastorally. Usually this tutor is one of the student’s subject teachers. All academic staff, including the Principal and management team have a tutor group and take part in pastoral care. The College is committed to pastoral care and sees this as the cornerstone of their success. The College does not have bells and students are expected to be on time for class and responsible. If they are late without a very good reason, they will be excluded from class and asked to catch up this work on a Friday afternoon. ACG Senior College runs sports teams, cultural activities, overseas trips and many activities involved with worthy causes.
Education System
Although Senior College did originally offer the NCEA courses, the institution has since switched to the full Cambridge International Examination system, and gained 34 Top in the World and Top in New Zealand Awards [3]. Students can take courses at various levels such as IGCSE and AS and A. Some students in Year 13 study at Senior College part-time and attend university courses at the University of Auckland as well. The institution offers all major CIE courses as well as more uncommon ones.[4] Each year, the college takes a number of students who are able and wish to move from Year 9 directly into Year 11. The students that have been accepted to date have achieved to a very high standard and fitted in socially as well. Great care is taken when decisions are made about the course each student will undertake. In August, students make their requests for the following year in consultation with their teachers and the management team. Our Career Counselor is available to help students with subject choice as well as supporting them when they apply for universities both nationally and internationally. The College is not purely academic.
History
The institution was opened in 1995 as Senior College of New Zealand, and was often referred to as SCONZ. Kathleen Parker, the current principal, was appointed principal before the opening and has retained that position over the years.