Rangi Ruru Girls' School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rangi Ruru Girls' School |
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Te Koraha, the administration building of Rangi Ruru
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| Address | |
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59 Hewitts Road,
Merivale, Christchurch, |
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| Coordinates | 43°31′09″S 172°37′03″E / 43.5192°S 172.6175°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent Single sex girls Intermediate and Secondary (Year 7–13) school with boarding facilities (Boarding from Year 7) |
| Motto | Māori: Whaia to te rangi (Seek the heavenly things) |
| Established | 1889 |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 325 |
| Chairperson | Nicki Carter |
| Principal | Stephanie Barnett (acting) |
| School roll | 704 (February 2024) |
| Socio-economic decile | 10 |
| Website | RangiRuru.school.nz (requires plugin) |
Rangi Ruru Girls' School is a private school just for girls in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in Merivale, a suburb close to the city center. This school offers both day classes and boarding (where students live at the school).
The school is connected to the Presbyterian Church. It teaches about 704 girls from Year 7 to Year 13. This means girls from about 10 to 18 years old can attend.
Contents
School History
Rangi Ruru Girls' School started a long time ago, in 1889. A man named Frederick Gibson bought a small school in Papanui. It was run by three sisters: Ada, Kate, and Jessie Gresham. They were moving away, so Frederick took over.
His daughters, Alice and Helen, along with their mother Mary, ran the new school. They called it "Miss Gibson's Private School for Girls." It began with 18 students, aged 5 to 16.
A New Name and Location
In 1891, the school moved to a building on Webb Street. It also got a new name: Rangi Ruru. This name means "wide sky-shelter" in the Māori language. A Māori chief named Pāora Taki, who was a friend of Frederick Gibson, suggested the name.
Helen Gibson became the Principal. Her sisters Alice, Ethel, Ruth, and Winifred joined her as teachers. Under Helen's leadership, the school grew a lot. By the time she passed away in 1938, there were over 200 students. Ethel Gibson then became Principal until 1946.
Moving to the Current Site
The school needed more space, so it moved to its current location in 1923. The main building there, called Te Koraha, was once a home for the Rhodes family. It was even used by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York during their royal visit in 1901.
In 1946, members of the Presbyterian Church bought the school from the Gibson family. They set up the Rangi Ruru Board of Governors to run it.
St Andrew's Church
In the 1980s, the school wanted its own chapel. At the same time, a local church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, had fewer people attending. So, they decided to move the church building to the school grounds. In 1986, the church was moved next to the school on Merivale Lane. It is now known as "St Andrew's at Rangi Ruru."
Academic Success
Rangi Ruru is known for its strong academic results. It is often one of the top-performing schools in New Zealand.
For example, in 2013, almost all girls who left Rangi Ruru had achieved at least NCEA Level 1. A very high number, 98.2%, reached NCEA Level 2. And 92.0% of students achieved University Entrance. These results were much higher than the national averages for girls in New Zealand. This shows that students at Rangi Ruru do very well in their studies.
Famous Former Students
Many talented people have studied at Rangi Ruru Girls' School. Here are a few:
- Sophie Devine (born 1989) – A well-known cricket and hockey player.
- Elizabeth Edgar (born 1929) – A famous botanist, someone who studies plants.
- Sophia Fenwick (born 1992) – A professional netball player.
- Polly 'PJ' Harding (born 1990) – A popular radio host.
- Eve MacFarlane (born 1992) – An Olympic rower.
- Margaret Munro (born 1914) – An architect, who designs buildings.
- Elizabeth Manu (born 1986) – A netball player.
- Annabel Ritchie (born 1978) – A lawyer and rower.
- Francie Turner (born 1992) – A rowing cox, who steers the boat.
Notable Staff
- Helen Gibson (born 1868) – A respected educator and the school's Principal for many years.
