At St Paul’s Collegiate School, students learn firsthand in the school’s orchard, which produces kiwifruit, apples, pears, plums, blueberries, and feijoas as part of the Agricultural and Horticultural Science programme.
“The orchard is an incredible hands-on learning resource,” says Agribusiness Advisor and teacher, Miss Melanie Simmons. “Our students take the lead in managing it, pruning and training trees, and then harvesting and processing their crop.”
Plums and blueberries are typically eaten fresh by students, with occasional batches of blueberry muffins appearing courtesy of staff. Apples and pears, often affected by coddling moth and black spot, are unsuitable for the kitchen and find a second life when made into dehydrated snacks, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
In addition, Year 13 Agricultural and Horticultural Science students manage the school’s beehives, harvesting honey and developing branding for their products. “The honey is a highlight for the students,” Mr Foot, Teacher in Charge of Ag Hort Science explains. “They get to take home a jar and also use it as a thank-you gift.”
The school’s kiwifruit and some feijoas make their way to the kitchen, while others are used in an internal assessment examining the relationship between Brix levels at harvest and shelf life. “This hands-on research gives students valuable insight into real-world quality control processes in the food industry,” says Miss Simmons.
The St Paul’s Agricultural and Horticultural Science programme covers aspects of plant, animal and soil science and the sustainable management of those resources to produce products that meet consumer demand. The school’s vegetable gardens, greenhouse, and field trips further enrich students’ understanding of the sector.
Agribusiness is also offered at St Paul’s and students learn the science and business of the Primary Sector beyond the farm gate. Food science, microbiology, agribusiness management, finance, economics, digital technologies, agri-innovations, and agri-marketing are key to the course. The Agribusiness curriculum first originated at St Paul’s after the school recognised the increasing demand for skilled professionals in New Zealand’s primary industries. Partnering with industry leaders – including DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, and eleven other primary sector organisation – St Paul’s pioneered the country’s first Agribusiness curriculum for secondary students. Now offered at NCEA Levels 2 and 3 in over 120 schools, this programme equips students excelling in science and commerce with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the country’s leading industry.
“The Primary Industries is the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, and our students are gaining the skills and experience to become future leaders in this space,” says Miss Simmons.
