1. History

2. Houses

3. Timetable

4. Huia Ropū system

5. Facilities

6. Student-based radio station

7. United Space School

8. Exchange programme

9. Controversy over bullying

10. Notable alumni

11. See also

12. References

13. External links

New Plymouth Boys' High School is a single-sex boys' state secondary school in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.

The school currently caters for approximately 1300 students, including 210 boarders, on its {{convert|15|ha}} site.^[2]

The school often collaborates with the very close-by New Plymouth Girls' High School. For example, the Hillary Challenge team for New Plymouth always draws students from both schools and the jazz band and concert band include musicians from both schools.

History

New Plymouth Boys' High School was founded in 1882 and celebrated its 125th Jubilee in 2007.^[3] Thomas Shailer Weston was for some time a governor of the school.^[4]

Houses

New Plymouth Boys' High School currently has four houses. Students are sorted alphabetically into their houses, with the exception of Hatherly, which consists of boarders only.

• Barak - green
• Donnelly - blue
• Hatherly - red
• Syme - yellow

Timetable

The school has implemented a 6-day timetable system, allowing for more subject choices.

The first day of school in the year is automatically day 1, with each day after it being the next day until it reaches 6, at which point it goes back to 1. Each student gets a timetable with all 6 days listed on it. There are 5 subject periods in a day, as well as interval, lunch and assemblies.

• Mondays and Fridays are School Assemblies, in Ryder Hall (the main assembly hall of the school that can seat 1,200 students on two floors).
• Tuesdays and Thursdays are House Assemblies, in which each student goes to an assembly for their respective house (Donnelly in Pridham Hall, Barak in Ryder Hall, Hatherly in the Boarders' dining lounge and Syme in the gymnasium).
• On Wednesdays, however, each student goes to their Huia Ropū, made up of about 30 boys (see below).

Huia Ropū system

Huia Ropū (formerly called Groups) is a class attended by all students on a Wednesday period 4 (the period 4 class gets shifted into period 3's time, and the original period 3 class gets lost). In the class, students learn about a variety of topics, including time management, mindfulness, anti-bullying, goal setting and career path planning, among others. Students stay in their Huia group throughout their time in school. There are 15 ropū per house, and each ropū is referenced by the first letter of its house followed by its number (e.g. D13 for Donnelly #13).

Facilities

In 2008, the school acquired a new wing (now known as the French-Wright Block, named for the former headmaster Lyal French-Wright ^[5]) with facilities for administration, science and mathematics. The wing incorporates modern architecture to add a new flavor to the traditional school.^[6] The wing was opened by the Prime Minister at the time, Helen Clark. {{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

The school has a boarding hostel, providing accommodation for up to 200 boys.

Student-based radio station

New Plymouth Boys' High also had their own radio station named "Gully FM" (however this is discontinued), as the school's "Gully Grounds" (the terrace-style rugby field of Boys' High) are a major part of New Plymouth Boys' High. Gully FM broadcast locally to New Plymouth on 87.9 FM. Gully FM was founded in 2011 after a small group of students got together and put forward a proposal to the headmaster. Gully FM mainly broadcast pop, modern rock and dubstep aimed at the students of the school.^[7]

United Space School

New Plymouth Boys' High School and New Plymouth Girls' High School are the only New Zealand schools to take part in the Foundation for International Space Education's United Space School which is held in Houston, Texas each year. One student from each school (and in 2009 a teacher^[8]), is selected to attend.

Exchange programme

An exchange relationship has been established with a Chilean High School so that every year, students alternate exchanges. In 2006, NPBHS travelled to Chile and in 2007, students from Chile came to NPBHS. The school also associates with schools in New Plymouth's sister cities in China and Japan.

Controversy over bullying

After an incident in 2008 when a boarder was beaten by four other students^[9] the school's board of trustees commissioned an independent report on bullying in November 2008. The report, released in late January 2009, identified a culture of bullying amongst students in the school's hostel, although the school's board of trustees disputed some of the report's findings.^[10] A 2010 Education Review Office review of the school did not highlight any bullying issues, and gave the school a positive report.^[11]

Notable alumni

Many successful men have come from the school, including Australian Idol winner Stan Walker, musicians Matt Thomas, Hayden Chisholm, former Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy Rear Admiral Tony Parr,^[12]

David Gauld, president of the New Zealand Mathematical Society (1981 - 1982),

the author and journalist John McBeth and 24 All Blacks.

In 2018, Professor Emeritus David Penny received one of the highest honours in the science world, to be named a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) foreign associate ^[13].

See also

• List of schools in New Zealand

References

External links

• New Plymouth Boys' High School Website
• A Boarders Life - Social Network Website with Photos and Anecdotes from the 1960s
• Gully FM

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