| Cambridge High School | |
|---|---|
|
Fortiter et recte
to have the strength to do the right thing |
|
| Location | |
| Swayne Road, Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand |
|
| Information | |
| Type | State Co-ed Secondary (Year 9-13) |
| Established | 1883 (closed 1887 between 1902) |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 142 |
| Principal | Phil McCreery |
| School roll | 1215 |
| Socio-economic decile | 9[1] |
| Website | camhigh.school.nz |
Cambridge High School is a state secondary school in the Waikato town of Cambridge. Cambridge High School is a co-educational state secondary school, students from the town and surrounding rural areas attend the school. The school is a large part of the Cambridge community, participating in a wide network of formal and informal relationships with other agencies and groups.
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Many claim that Cambridge High School, in the 'pre-Annan' period, was a rough school, and had earned itself the nickname "Cannabis High". Many students in the region chose to bus to schools in Hamilton instead of their local high school.
The school came under fire after it had maintained a 100% pass rate for two years in a row in NCEA (National Certificate in Educational Achievement) exams, and attracted a lot of media attention amid claims of teacher bullying and manipulation of the students' exam results.
Close attention was paid to the so-called 'Achievement Recovery Room'. Students who were regarded as slow were pulled out of mainstream classes and put into Achievement Recovery. There they could catch up on work they missed, until they were up to speed with other pupils. The current affairs program '60 Minutes' highlighted claims that teachers who were put in charge of Achievement Recovery had written assessment answers on the board for students to copy.
Claims of teacher bullying and manipulation of school results led to an investigation by the Ministry of Education. The subsequent report revealed flaws in Mrs Annan's tactics and problems with the school such as poor facilities. After pressure from those in charge of the investigation, Mrs Annan announced her resignation as principal on Friday 13 August 2004.
Since Mrs Annan's departure the school has seen several transformations. This includes the restoration of its library, which was dismantled only a couple of years before, and some changes to other school structures such as after school detentions for minor infringements.