St Paul’s produces four of New Zealand’s top 60 scholars

Results from the 2012 New Zealand Scholarship examinations have confirmed that St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton is the country’s highest achieving independent school for academic performance, gaining 43 Scholarship passes which included 14 Outstanding Scholarship passes. In addition, four St Paul’s students received Outstanding Scholar Awards which are only given to the top 60 academic students across New Zealand who entered the examinations.

Scholarship examinations provide recognition and monetary reward to high achievers who are generally in their last year of schooling. Thirty nine per cent of the students at St Paul’s who sat Scholarship last year achieved a Scholarship pass in one or more subjects.

There are very few Outstanding Scholarship passes achieved nationally per subject. St Paul’s students gained four of the 27 available Outstanding Scholarship passes in chemistry and one of the four available Outstanding Scholarship passes in science. Examination marks in mathematics with statistics were also high with students gaining 10 Scholarship passes including three Outstanding passes, while calculus students gained five passes including two Outstanding passes.

Peter Hampton, Assistant Headmaster of the Senior School at St Paul’s says for students to gain Scholarship success, they need to be resilient and determined.

“These students need to demonstrate high-level critical thinking and apply their knowledge, understanding and ideas to complex situations. These are very tough examinations,” he says.

The four Outstanding Scholar Award winners who rank as the county’s top 60 scholars are:

• Belinda Pedersen – Outstanding Scholarship passes in calculus, chemistry, statistics and Scholarship passes in physics, biology
• Sheng Cao – Outstanding Scholarship passes in calculus, chemistry, statistics and a Scholarship pass in physics
• Olivia Thompson – Outstanding Scholarship passes in science, chemistry and statistics
• Charlotte Dumble – Outstanding Scholarship passes in biology, chemistry and Scholarship passes in calculus and statistics

Each of the Outstanding Scholar Award winners will receive $5,000 per year for up to 3 years as long as they maintain a B average in tertiary study in New Zealand.

St Paul’s NCEA results for 2012

Level 3
* 86% (11% above national average)

Level 2 * 91% (9% above national average)

Level 1 * 94% (16% above national average)