We gathered at our annual Prize Giving ceremonies to honour our students, celebrating a year of remarkable academic excellence, sporting triumph, and community service that marks a proud year.
A Milestone Year
The ceremony came at a particularly significant time for our College, as we celebrated our 100th anniversary on the Epsom campus this year. In a fitting tribute to this milestone, we re-established our Senior School Student Council, which was symbolically launched by our Head Girls at our Whole School Assembly on International Women’s Day, with its first meeting held on our centenary birthday itself.
We also welcomed three key additions to our leadership team: Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School John Payne, Chaplain David Smith, who brings 24 years of college chaplaincy experience from St Kent’s, and Deputy Head (Academia) Nikki Bentley, who joined us from King’s.
Academic Excellence
2024 saw exceptional academic results across all senior year levels:
• 100% pass rate in both IB and NCEA examinations
• Nine IB students achieving 40+ points
• 139 Scholarship awards across 27 subjects (a 22% increase from 2023)
• 62 different students earning Scholarship honours
Our students demonstrated their academic prowess across an impressive breadth of competitions and Olympiads, excelling in Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Ethics, Future Problem Solving, Informatics, and Mathematics. Highlights included a Biology student earning an international Bronze medal and our Future Problem Solving team qualifying for the World Finals in the USA next year.
At the Auckland City Science and Technology Fair, our scholars dominated proceedings, securing top honours and Prime Minister’s Award nominations. Our chess players maintained their winning tradition with Auckland and national titles, while our robotics teams swept their regional competition, claiming all three top positions in one division.
Performing Arts Success
Our performing arts students achieved extraordinary success across multiple disciplines. Our College musical, ‘Legally Blonde’, earned eight nominations at the Auckland Live Showdown Awards, including a win for Best Supporting Performer. Our drama students showcased exceptional depth at the Regional Shakespeare Festival, with two students selected for the prestigious Young Shakespeare Company in London.
Our dancers placed third in the Auckland Showquest regional competition, our vocalists gained coveted places in the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir, and our debating teams excelled across twelve tournaments, with multiple teams reaching finals and semi-finals. Individual speakers earned recognition as Most Promising at both regional and national championships, with representation on Auckland and reserve positions for national teams.
Sporting Achievements
The sporting arena saw continued success, with our Premier Water Polo team winning the national championship for the third successive year, and our Premier Netball team grading for the Auckland Premier One competition with five wins from five games.
At the recent College Sport Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards at Eden Park, we secured a remarkable hat trick of wins, with Zara Toes (Orienteering), Scarlett Robb (Distance Running), and Katie Marshall (Water Polo) each being named as the winner for their respective codes.
Living the Motto: “By Love Serve”
Our students demonstrated our commitment to service through various community initiatives. The inaugural Service trip to Fiji provided a deeply humbling and rewarding experience as our students put our motto “By Love Serve” into action. Closer to home, the Year 11 St Cuthbert’s Diploma Service Days saw 200 students and 20 staff volunteering in primary schools, conducting library stocktakes, making and sorting resources, and gardening.
Principal Charlotte Avery says, you are the embodiment of excellence. Your achievements are a reflection of your hard work, perseverance, and passion. You have shown that with determination and the right support, there are no limits to what you can achieve.”
As our graduating Year 13 Class of 2025 prepares to take their next steps, they do so with offers from prestigious universities across New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and beyond, well-prepared to continue their journey of excellence.
Our Prize Giving ceremony served as a proud celebration of the Service Values that guide our College community: Service, Excellence, Resilience, Integrity, and Compassion—principles that continue to shape outstanding young women as we begin our second century.
