Figure 1.--Many of New Zealands' private preparatory continue to use the traditional styled school uniforms adopted by preparatory schools in England.
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Figure 1.--Many of New Zealands' private preparatory continue to use the traditional styled school uniforms adopted by preparatory schools in England. |
Many private elementary schools are organized and run as traditional English preparatory schools. These schools traditionally catered to preparing elementary boys (years 3-8) for entrance in private secondary schools, but many now also have pre-prep sections. The schools were founded on the basis of the English preparatory school which was designed to prepare boys for entrance into the country's public schools (elite private secondary schools). Most of the New Zeakand preparatory schools, like the English schools were initially boarding schools, but in recent years boarding for younger children has become less popular in New Zealand.
There are many different types of preparatory schols. Here are some of the major types. These different types are not necessarily exclusicve of each other, but there are many various combinatiions
New Zealand private secondary schools offer both coeducation and single-gender education. Most of the single-gender schools are the older, more traditional secondary schools. Many of the boys' schools have become admitted girls. None of the girls' schools, however, have adopted this policy.
Many of the more traditional schools were boarding schools in the English public school tradition. Boarding is today less important as fewer parents want to board their children. Many schools now operate entirely as day schools. Others operate with reduced boarf\ding roles. Some parents because of international postings need to board their children. Others continue to belive that boarding will be a an important character building experience as well lead to improved academic performance.
These brief descriptions provide a general idea about the size and nature of New Zealand private secondary schools.
King's School is an independent Anglican primary day school for boys from the age of 5
to 13 years. This encompasses the school years from Year 1 to Year 8. There are
between 630 and 650 boys in the school. The school shares a common foundation with
King's College, which was founded in February 1896. When the College moved to
Middlemore in 1922, King's School was founded in it's own right.
When King's School was established in 1922, the founders declared that their
primary objective and aim was to provide the best education that it is possible to
obtain. For more than 75 years, the school has never waivered from this aim and
belief. We place the boys at the centre of all that we do here. As well as enjoying their education and time at King's, they should be stimulated and challenged by the environment, quality of teaching and by the wide range of opportunities available to them. We see our role as that of a partner with parents, working together to
produce personable, well educated, all round boys who will become fine citizens of
the future.
Southwell is registered as an independent school and is reviewed by the Education Review Office. Southwell is one of the original member schools
of the Association of Preparatory Schools of New Zealand and the first school in New Zealand to be elected a member of the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. At present it is the largest preparatory boarding and day school in the country. In September 1998, the Trust Board decided that Southwell will become co-educational from the beginning of the Year 2000.
This is what some of the children thought about their primary schools and what they like to do at school.
