Macleans College facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Macleans College |
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| Address | |
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2 Macleans Road
Eastern Beach Auckland 2012 New Zealand |
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| Coordinates | 36°53′00″S 174°54′55″E / 36.8833°S 174.9152°E |
| Information | |
| Type | State co-educational |
| Motto | Virtue Mine Honour |
| Established | 1980 |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 41 |
| Principal | Steven Hargreaves (2017) |
| Grades | Secondary |
| Enrolment | 2,851 (February 2024) |
| Socio-economic decile | 9Q |
| Website | www.macleans.school.nz |
Macleans College is a large school in Eastern Beach, Auckland, New Zealand. It's a state school, meaning it's funded by the government. Both boys and girls attend Macleans College.
The school is named after the Scottish MacLean family. They used to live and farm the land where the school is now. The school's emblem shows a castle from their family crest. It also has six waves, which represent the school's location near the sea. Macleans College is known for its strong academic results. In 2010, a magazine called Metro named it the top high school in Auckland for students taking Cambridge International Examinations. By 2014, it was ranked second nationally in these exams.
Contents
Discovering Macleans College History
Macleans College opened its doors in 1980. The first principal was Colin Prentice. He later became the director of World Vision in New Zealand. The school started with 199 students.
Key Leaders and Milestones
Allan McDonald became principal in 1989. Then, Byron J. Bentley took over in 2000. He was the longest-serving principal, leading the school for 18 years. Since 2018, Steven Hargreaves has been the principal.
In 2015, the school's main hall was renamed the 'Colin Prentice Auditorium'. This was done to honor the first principal after he passed away. In 2018, students launched their own official publication called "The Collegian."
Understanding the House System
When students join Macleans College, they are placed into one of eight 'whanau houses'. 'Whanau' is a Māori word meaning family. These houses are named after important New Zealanders. Each house has about 300 students.
How Houses Work
Each house has two or three classes for each year group. Students usually stay in the same house throughout their time at school. If a student has a sibling or parent who attended Macleans, they can choose to be in the same house. Otherwise, they are placed randomly.
Macleans College was the first state school in New Zealand built specifically with this house system in mind. The houses help create a smaller community feel within the large school. Each house encourages certain values and supports a specific charity.
| House name | House mascot | House colour | Year opened | Service Aspect |
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| Hillary | Yeti | Green | 1980 | Himalayan Trust |
| Kupe | Kiwi | Gold | 1981 | Kiwis for Kiwi |
| Rutherford | Elephant | Red | 1982 | Hato Hone St John |
| Mansfield | 'Dog' from Footrot Flats | Purple | 1984 | Guide dogs |
| Te Kanawa | Taniwha | Dark Blue | 1987 | Child Cancer Foundation |
| Batten | Buzzy Bee | Platinum | 1998 | Westpac Rescue Helicopter |
| Snell | Black panther | Black | 2001 | Halberg Trust |
| Upham | Lion | Light Blue | 2003 | RSA |
House Development Over Time
The first houses were Kupe, Hillary, Te Kanawa, and Rutherford. Hillary House had to be rebuilt in 1992 after a fire. Mansfield House opened quickly in 1984 because more students were joining the school. The newest house, Upham, opened in 2003.
Exploring the School's Location and Buildings
Macleans College is located in Macleans Park. This is a large park area in the Howick/Pakuranga district. The school's location on a hill gives it wide views of the nearby Eastern Beach. In 2021, the land where Macleans is located was bought by Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki from the Crown.
House Buildings and Facilities
Each Whanau House has its own one-story building. Batten House is the only two-story building because it's on a slope. This is due to a rule in the area that limits building height to protect the views. Each house building has about five classrooms and a science lab. Some also have a computer lab.
They all have a large central common area. This space is used for house meetings, eating lunch, and various activities. The original house buildings (Hillary, Kupe, Rutherford, Te Kanawa) were built with a similar design. These designs have since been updated to allow for larger open common spaces.
Specialized Learning Areas
The school also has separate buildings for specific subjects. These include Science, Technology, Computing, Graphics, Art, Music, and Engineering. There is a large gymnasium named the Barbara Kendall gymnasium. There's also a big covered outdoor area called The Macleans Cloud. A smaller hall, the Colin Prentice auditorium, is used for performances.
In 2025, Macleans College received funding for eight new classrooms. This was to help with the increasing number of students in the area.
Macleans College Students
Macleans College is a diverse school. In May 2014, there were 2271 students. This number did not include 304 international students. About 53% of students were male and 47% were female.
Student Backgrounds
Most students, 54%, identified as Asian. This included 31% Chinese and 11% Indian students. Forty percent of students were European, with 27% being New Zealand European (Pākehā). Three percent of students were Māori, and one percent were Pacific Islanders.
Macleans College has an Equity Index of 387. This means its students face fewer socioeconomic challenges compared to many other schools.
International Students
Many international students come from China. However, students from other countries like Germany, Hungary, Brazil, Japan, and Nepal also attend.
Learning and Qualifications
Macleans College aims to prepare students for their future. In 2013, almost all students (97.6%) left school with at least NCEA Level 1 or IGCSE. A high percentage (95.5%) achieved NCEA Level 2 or AS. Also, 86.2% reached the University Entrance standard. These results were much higher than the national averages.
The Macleans Certification (MCERT)
Until 2018, students in Year 11 could choose between NCEA Level 1 and IGCSE. These led to NCEA Level 2 or CIE AS Level in later years. However, the school decided to create its own program. This new program is called the Macleans Certification (MCERT). MCERT combines the best parts of both IGCSE and NCEA Level 1. It helps students get a strong foundation for their senior years.
Famous People Who Attended Macleans College
Many successful people have studied at Macleans College. Here are a few:
- Andrew de Boorder – a cricketer for Auckland.
- Derek de Boorder – also a cricketer for Auckland.
- Scott Campbell – played baseball in the Minor League.
- Colin Craig – a businessman and founder of a political party.
- Jarek Goebel – played rugby for the Auckland Blues.
- Kirsten Hellier – an Olympic javelin thrower.
- Barbara Kendall – an Olympic windsurfer. The school gymnasium is named after her.
- Sean Lovemore – played football for Wellington Phoenix.
- Aaron McIntosh – an Olympic windsurfer.
- Corey Main – an Olympic swimmer.
- Kyle Mills – played cricket for the New Zealand team.
- Cameron Norrie – a tennis player who reached world ranking No. 10.
- Rhona Robertson – an Olympic badminton player.
- Kamahl Santamaria – a journalist.
- Ryan Sissons – an Olympic triathlete.
- Natalie Taylor – played women's basketball in the Olympics.
- Brooke Walker – played cricket for the New Zealand team.
- Nathan Walker – played football for Wellington Phoenix.
- Mark Weldon – an Olympic swimmer and former CEO of NZX.
- Ingrid Leary – a Labour Member of Parliament since 2020.
