New Plymouth Boys' High School

New Plymouth Boys' High School is a single-sex boys' state secondary school in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.

New Plymouth Boys' High School
Te Kura Tamatane O Ngamotu
View of New Plymouth Boys High School
Address
Coronation Avenue
New Plymouth
New Zealand
Coordinates39.0613°S 174.0866°E / -39.0613; 174.0866
Information
TypeState single sex boys' secondary (Year 9–13) with boarding facilities
MottoEt comitate, Et virtute, Et Sapientia
"Comradeship, Valour and Wisdom"
Established1882; 139 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no.171
HeadmasterSam Moore
School roll1360[1] (March 2020)
Socio-economic decile7O[2]
Websitewww.npbhs.school.nz

The school currently caters for approximately 1300 students, including 210 boarders, on its 15 hectares (37 acres) site.[3]

The school often collaborates with the very close-by New Plymouth Girls' High School. For example, the Hillary Challenge team for New Plymouth always draws students from both schools and the jazz band and concert band include musicians from both schools.

History

New Plymouth Boys' High School was founded in 1882 and celebrated its 125th Jubilee in 2007.[4] Thomas Shailer Weston was for some time a governor of the school.[5]

Principals
  • Ernest Pridham (1882–1911)
  • Bill Moyes (1912–1941)
  • Jack McNaught (1942–1957)
  • John Webster (1958–1967)
  • Wit Alexander (1968–1971)
  • Geoff Cramond (1972–1978)
  • Tom Ryder (1979–1995)
  • Lyal French-Wright (1995–2008)
  • Michael McMenamin (2008–2015)
  • Paul Verić (2015–2019)
  • Sam Moore (2019-current)

Houses

New Plymouth Boys' High School currently has four houses. Students are sorted alphabetically into their houses, with the exception of Hatherly, which consists of boarders only.

  • Barak – green
  • Donnelly – blue
  • Hatherly – red
  • Syme – yellow

Huia Ropū system

Huia Ropū (formerly called Groups) is a class attended by all students on a Wednesday period 4 (the period 4 class gets shifted into period 3's time, and the original period 3 class gets lost). In the class, students learn about a variety of topics, including time management, mindfulness, anti-bullying, goal setting and career path planning, among others. Students stay in their Huia group throughout their time in school. There are 15 ropū per house, and each ropū is referenced by the first letter of its house followed by its number (e.g. D13 for Donnelly #13).

Facilities

In 2008, the school acquired a new wing (now known as the French-Wright Block, named for the former headmaster Lyal French-Wright [6]) with facilities for administration, science and mathematics. The wing incorporates modern architecture to add a new flavor to the traditional school.[7] The wing was opened by the Prime Minister at the time, Helen Clark.

The school has a boarding hostel, providing accommodation for up to 200 boys.

Student-based radio station

New Plymouth Boys' High also had their own radio station named "Gully FM" (however this is discontinued), as the school's "Gully Grounds" (the terrace-style rugby field of Boys' High) are a major part of New Plymouth Boys' High. Gully FM broadcast locally to New Plymouth on 87.9 FM. Gully FM was founded in 2011 after a small group of students got together and put forward a proposal to the headmaster. Gully FM mainly broadcast pop, modern rock and dubstep aimed at the students of the school.[8]

United Space School

New Plymouth Boys' High School and New Plymouth Girls' High School are the only New Zealand schools to take part in the Foundation for International Space Education's United Space School which is held in Houston, Texas each year. One student from each school (and in 2009 a teacher[9]), is selected to attend.

Exchange programme

A student exchange program has been established with a Chilean High School, Colegio San Nicolás de Myra, so that every year students alternate exchanges between New Plymouth and Santiago. In 2006, NPBHS travelled to Chile for the first time, and the next year students from Chile came to NPBHS in return. This exchange has continued into the present, and is run through NPBHS by Tineka Twigley. The school also associates with schools in New Plymouth's sister cities in China and Japan.

Controversy over bullying

After an incident in 2008 when a boarder was beaten by four other students[10] the school's board of trustees commissioned an independent report on bullying in November 2008. The report, released in late January 2009, identified a culture of bullying amongst students in the school's hostel, although the school's board of trustees disputed some of the report's findings.[11] A 2010 Education Review Office review of the school did not highlight any bullying issues, and gave the school a positive report.[12]

Notable alumni

Many successful men have come from the school, including Australian Idol winner Stan Walker, musicians Matt Thomas, Hayden Chisholm, former Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy Rear Admiral Tony Parr,[13] David Gauld (president of the New Zealand Mathematical Society 1981–82), the author and journalist John McBeth, and 24 All Blacks.

In 2018, Professor Emeritus David Penny received one of the highest honours in the science world, to be named a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) foreign associate.[14]

Members of Parliament who attended the school include Andrew Little, John Armstrong, Bruce Beetham, Merv Wellington, Cam Calder and Ken Comber.[15] Harry Barker was mayor of Gisborne for 27 years.[16]

See also
  • List of schools in New Zealand

References
  1. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  2. "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  4. Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : M–Addenda (PDF). II. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs. p. 484. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  6. "Former headmaster Lyal French-Wright retires from top seat at law firm". stuff.co.nz. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  7. "Headmaster's Report" (PDF). Through the Gates. New Plymouth Boys' High School Community. 21: 3. April 2009.
  8. Moir, Jo (15 August 2011), School radio gets too close for comfort, Taranaki Daily News Online, retrieved 2 December 2011
  9. Palmer, Harriet (10 June 2009). "Teacher first for space camp". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  10. "Four Teens Given Diversion Over School Bullying". Voxy.co.nz. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  11. "Bullying culture revealed at Taranaki school". The New Zealand Herald. 31 January 2009.
  12. "New Plymouth Boys' High School". Education Review Office. 13 December 2010. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  13. Archived 8 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Fuseworks Media. "Professor Emeritus welcomed by prominent US Academy". Voxy.co.nz. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  15. Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. p. 304. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
  16. Milton-Tee, Ann. "Harry Heaton Barker". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
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