Exceptional co-curricular options on offer

An exceptional range of sporting, cultural, recreational, musical, and other performance opportunities are available to students at St Andrew’s, ensuring they can discover their potential, express their talents, and strive for excellence in their activity of choice.

The College has a rich and varied sports offering, with 33 sports available to choose from. These include all the major codes such as cricket, tennis, touch, basketball, rugby, football, hockey, netball, volleyball, and rowing, along with niche options like ice hockey, multisport, trap shooting, equestrian, surfing, canoe polo, and golf. An impressive 90 per cent of students competed in interschool sport last year, and all are encouraged to participate in the annual athletic sports, swimming, and cross country events.

The high quality sports grounds and facilities, including Gym 2 and the StACFit Fitness Centre, along with the experienced coaches available at St Andrew’s, help all students to reach their potential in the sports programme, which has embraced the overarching Sport NZ ‘Balance is Better’ philosophy.

This is also true of the incredible facilities on offer for students taking up cultural pursuits, including the new Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre incorporating the Gough Family Theatre, Drama Studio, and Ballet and Dance studios; the state of the art music suite and recording studio; and cutting edge TV studio, where students interested in the practical and technical aspects of production can learn their craft.

Cultural options for students include everything from music, Performing Arts, speech and drama, Theatresports, and dance, to Highland dance and the St Andrew’s Ballet Academy, which offers a comprehensive co-educational ballet programme from Pre-school through to Year 13 students. Professional tuition in singing and a wide range of instruments is offered, along with the opportunity for students to join jazz and concert bands, choirs, barbershop groups, chamber and orchestra groups, rock bands, and the internationally acclaimed Pipe Band, which has been an integral part of the College’s heritage since 1919.

The productions in the Preparatory School, Middle School, and Senior College include large numbers of students in performance and behind the scenes roles and are among the many highlights on the cultural calendar, along with StAC Attack, Dance Revue, and FilmFest.

St Andrew’s has a strong Māori and Pasifika Group and Kapa Haka, which celebrate Māori and Pasifika performance.

Debating is another popular option, along with the co-curricular clubs – Chess, Digitech, International, Junior Young Farmers, and Writing for Publication.

With such a vast array of co-curricular options available in the Secondary School, St Andrew’s students are well-supported to explore their interests, learn new things, and develop into confident, well-rounded individuals.