Setting the standard in literacy and numeracy
11 Nov 2025
The strong literacy and numeracy skills embedded in Christ’s College classes are reflected in outstanding NCEA National Standards results. The school has achieved a 99% pass rate in Year 11 Reading and 98% in Writing, and 92% in Year 10 Numeracy.
Deputy Headmaster – Teaching & Learning Katie Southworth believes that the results clearly show “our programmes – developed from Year 9 – are working, and our excellent English, Mathematics, and Learning Centre teachers have combined to deliver the best outcomes for our boys”.
“Indeed, the collaborative efforts of our whole school have ensured that the boys are well-prepared to successfully navigate future studies and the new curriculum content, with College having already introduced the foundation skills,” she says.
“We strongly support evidence-based learning and best practice strategies. Our results illustrate the benefits of that approach in both literacy and numeracy. We also now have six Year 13 English classes – a remarkable number for a boys’ school of our size.”
HoD English Chris Waugh adds that “every English programme at College is driven by explicit instruction of grammar in writing, structured reading practices, and teachers who promote social construction in learning”.
“In reading, we match the genres of books that boys enjoy with the text they write, inspiring better writing,” he says. “Our results confirm that a precise approach delivers seamless progression in literacy through the year groups. Our boys learn that everything in English is inter-related and that each convention of language and literature leads on to the next.”
HoD Mathematics & Statistics Mark Hooper also highlights that “the careful balance in our junior programme of procedural and conceptual knowledge, together with plenty of practice of the three core tenets –- setting up a problem, solving the problem, and justifying the solution – has helped our boys to understand a range of numeracy-based problems”.
“With the additional consistent and high-quality support from our Learning Centre teachers, more boys have the confidence and understanding to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to a range of areas and also succeed outside the classroom.”
