This is reflected by the breadth of our curriculum particularly at the senior school. We have a partnership with ARA polytechnic and a vocational pathways programme, which sits alongside the more traditional 'academic' subjects. If it is possible, classes are also shared with Waitaki Girls' High School.

Here at Waitaki Boys' we see Character Development as fundamental to the success of our young men. This focus on the school's values of respect, resilience and motivation is embedded through rector's assemblies, Year 9 and 10 camps, a strong whānau house group programme along with a specific well-being programme. The positive behaviour for learning programme (PB4L) is embedded through the He Ara Tika programme which rewards demonstration of the school's values by the awarding of He Ara Tika badges.

What is unique about our school is the 'sense of brotherhood', from all eating lunch together, to playing on the turf together, to sharing successes both inside and outside the classroom together.

You will find a real feeling of togetherness here.

Darryl Paterson - Rector

While young men and boys can and do excel in many types of educational institutions, schools for boys focus with intention on learning that addresses not only how to excel in academics but also how to grow into a young man of integrity and empathy.

1.  Schools for boys understand and celebrate boys.

Schools that make the intentional choice to focus on the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional lives of boys and young men share an appreciation for the intensity and complexity of boyhood. Educators at boys’ schools celebrate and value all that it means to be a boy.

2.  Schools for boys seek first to build good men.

In addition to pursuing high academic achievement, schools for boys share many broad goals: to promote well-being, to develop resilience and empathy, and to see that each student achieves his potential. But none is more important than the essential goal of building good character and by extension, helping each boy and young man make responsible choices and live an honourable life.

3.  Schools for boys know that boys develop and learn in different ways.

It’s a simple fact that boys and girls grow at a different pace. Boys’ strengths are different from those of girls. While girls generally develop earlier physically and socially, refining their reading and writing skills sooner, boys are more spatial and visual by nature, and they demonstrate a natural affinity for areas like abstract mathematics. They are also hard-wired to learn more easily through action than words.

4.  Schools for boys teach in ways that boys learn best.

Each staff member in an all-boys school has made a conscious choice to teach boys. They enjoy boys’ irreverent humour and draw energy from their natural exuberance. Their passion to teach boys requires a commitment to build relationships, craft a curriculum, and lead a classroom that engages each student in the way he learns best.

5.  Schools for boys help students discover and explore their full potential.

Without the social pressures of a co-ed environment, students in an all-boys school can explore the full range of their personalities and potential. Eschewing stereotypes, they discover they have many roles to play as a scholar, athlete, artist, musician, and friend.

6.  Schools for boys foster brotherhood and lifelong friendships.

Working together in the classroom, on the playing field, or in the performance hall, students are united by a special bond of brotherhood. Many boys’ school graduates say the friendships they developed with their peers and with faculty are among the most important benefits they carry with them from their schools.

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