Rutherford_College,_Auckland
Rutherford College, Auckland
State co-ed secondary (year 9–13) school
Rutherford College (formerly named Rutherford High School from 1961 to 2001) is a co-educational state secondary school on the Te Atatū Peninsula, Auckland, New Zealand. It is named after New Zealand-born nuclear physicist and chemist Ernest Rutherford.
| Rutherford College | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| Coordinates | 36.8513°S 174.6465°E / -36.8513; 174.6465 |
| Information | |
| Type | State co-ed secondary (Year 9–13) |
| Established | 5 February 1961; 63 years ago |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 40 |
| Principal | Gary Moore |
| School roll | 1,435[1] (February 2024) |
| Socio-economic decile | 5M[2] |
| Website | www |
The school opened in 1961, and rapidly developed as the farms and orchards of Te Atatū were developed into housing.[3] The school was the first in New Zealand to offer drama and dance as school subjects.[3]
Rutherford College is a New Zealand Qualifications Authority accredited co-educational Year 9–13 State Secondary school. It caters for students from year 9 to year 13, as well as providing adult education, special education and night courses. It offers well-qualified, professional staff are very successful in challenging students to achieve academic success in national assessments. The school teaches core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science, and helps senior students pass NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement). As well as core subjects, specialist subjects such as Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, Māori and German are taught as a second language, as well as aviation, environmental science and biochemistry, arts, physical education, technology, accounting and economics.[4]
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The College encourages student participation in a wide range of extracurricular activities, again challenging students to reach their full potential in all areas.
- The school celebrates annually, Rutherford Day, to commemorate the achievements of Lord Rutherford.
- The official school song is ‘Me Hui Hui’, written by Pita Sharples
- Another school song ‘The Rutherford Way’ was written by former school music teacher, Mrs Manu Fa'aea-Semeatu.
- The school has a strong bond with its sister school, Da Tong High School in Shanghai, China.
- Rutherford Colleges Kapa Haka group 'Te Rōpu Kapa Haka o Te Kōtuku' is also the top Mainstream group in the Auckland region.
- Chris Carter (born 1952), politician
- Cliff Edmeades (born 1941), principal (1989–2006)[5]
- Jack Elder (born 1949), politician
- Dame June Mariu (born 1932), community leader[6]
 | This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. (September 2023) |
Sport
- Ken Carrington – rugby union player, All Black (1971–72)
- Ron Cribb – rugby union player, expelled
- Kees Meeuws – rugby union player
- Sam Tuitupou – rugby union player
- Garth da Silva – boxer
- Darren Liddel – weightlifter
- Gavin Stevens – cyclist
- Henry Paul – rugby union and rugby league player
- Robbie Hunter-Paul – rugby league player
- Ivan Vicelich – association footballer
- Peter Webb – cricketer
- Yvonne Willering – netball player and coach
The arts
- The La De Da's – 1960s/70s rock band, including Kevin Borich, first formed at Rutherford High[7]
- Oscar Kightley – TV personality, actor (Bro' Town, Sione's Wedding)
- Pio Terei – TV personality, actor and comedian
Public service
- Simon Bridges – Former Minister of Transport and former National Party leader and MP for Tauranga. (Also the former Head Boy of the school)[8]
- Tim Shadbolt – Mayor of Invercargill, former Mayor of Waitemata City (one of the founding students of the school)
- Dame Cindy Kiro – children's commissioner, academic, governor-general
- Rawiri Waititi – Current Member of Parliament for Waiariki (New Zealand electorate), Co-Leader of Te Pāti Māori.
- "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- Devaliant, Judith (2009). "History Lessons". In Macdonald, Finlay; Kerr, Ruth (eds.). West: The History of Waitakere. Random House. p. 207. ISBN 9781869790080.
- Lambert, Max (1991). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1991 (12th ed.). Auckland: Octopus. pp. 178f. ISBN 9780790001302.
- Forbes, Stephen (5 June 2012). "Tribute to Dame's efforts with Maori". Western Leader. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- Schmidt, Andrew. "The La De Da's – Profile". Audio Culture. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- Hewitson, Michelle (14 April 2018). "Simon Bridges is on a mission to get people to know (and like) him". NZ Listener. Vol. 263, no. 4062. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 28 April 2018.