Shirley Boys' High School

Shirley Boys' High School
Address
North Parade,
Shirley,
Christchurch 8013,
New Zealand
Coordinates 43°30′44.11″S 172°39′37.25″E / 43.5122528°S 172.6603472°E / -43.5122528; 172.6603472Coordinates: 43°30′44.11″S 172°39′37.25″E / 43.5122528°S 172.6603472°E / -43.5122528; 172.6603472
Information
Type State single sex boys secondary (Year 9-13)
Motto Interest Omnium Recte Facere
Established 1957
Ministry of Education Institution no. 321
Principal John Laurenson
School roll 1263[1] (July 2017)
Socio-economic decile 6N[2]
Website shirley.school.nz

Shirley Boys' High School (known as SBHS) is a single sex state (public) secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated on a 6 hectare site in the suburb of Shirley, 3.8 kilometres (13 minutes) from the city centre, but in 2018 will move, along with Avonside Girls' High School, to the former QEII Park site in the east of Christchurch.

The school has over 60 classrooms plus a hall, a gymnasium and a megacentre which was completed in April 2016. This replaced the computer block which was bulldozed at the end of 2015 due to flooding issues after the 2011 quake. The school has over 70 teachers, two care-takers and seven OCS cleaners. There are 45 wheelie bins which are emptied daily by one of the evening cleaners. The school also runs a canteen and a uniform shop.

The school colours are sky blue and gold.

Brief history

Parents in the eastern and northern suburbs of Christchurch had wanted single-sex education for their sons. In 1957, this finally became available when the school opened under its first Headmaster, Charles Gallagher.

Established on a swampy paddock formerly used for grazing horses to the west of North Parade, the School grew rapidly. Within a few years it became a self-confessed and proud rival to Christchurch Boys' High School as well as to St. Andrew's and St Bede's College.[3]

A detailed satirical portrait of the school as it was in the late 1960s can be found in The Shining City, a novel by former student Stevan Eldred-Grigg[4]

On the Easter weekend (April) of 2007, Shirley Boys' High School celebrated its 50th Jubilee. Commemorative events included an Old Boys' XV playing the current 2nd XV and the 1st XV playing in historic uniform against St. Andrew's College; as well as a golf tournament, formal black-tie dinner, staff luncheon and 'meet-and-greet evening'.

2011 earthquake

During the magnitude 6.3 quake on 22 February the school suffered extensive damage[5] and had to close. At least two classroom blocks were expected to be demolished, and all of the concrete areas of the school, including the new tennis courts, were badly damaged.

The students did not attend school for almost a month afterwards, before the decision was made to shift its pupils to Papanui High School[6] - with Papanui High School's students changing to attend classes from 8am until 1pm, while the Shirley Boys' High School students entered the school at 1.15pm and finished at 5.45pm. After about 6 months of this arrangement[7] pupils were able to return to the re-opened school in early September 2011.[8]

Education Minister Hekia Parata announced on 16 October 2013 that the school would move, and be co-located with Avonside Girls' High School at a site in east Christchurch.[9] On 12 Feb 2015 the site was announced to be the former QEII Park site [10]

Houses

Shirley Boys' High School Houses
Aoraki Named after Aoraki/Mount Cook, the largest peak in New Zealand.
Mullins Named after Mr. Mullins, Former Deputy Headmaster.
Snell Named after Peter Snell, New Zealand athlete.
Blake Named after Peter Blake, New Zealand sailor and conservationist.

Notable alumni

References

  1. "Directory of Schools - as at 2 August 2017". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  2. "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. Amodeo, Colin (March 2007). On Parade!: Shirley Boys' High School - The First Fifty Years. Caxton Press. ISBN 1-877303-08-9.
  4. Eldred-Grigg, Stevan (1991). The Shining City. Penguin Books. ISBN 014014935X.
  5. Jo Gilbert and Tracey Cooper (1 March 2011). "Minister visits earthquake damaged Christchurch schools". The Press. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  6. Ben Heather, Jo Gilbert and Charley Mann (2 March 2011). "Schools on the move". The Press. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  7. Gilbert, Jo (7 April 2011). "Some schools plan to return to their sites". The Press. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  8. "Shirley Boys High back in business", September 12, 2011, ONE News
  9. O'Callaghan, Jody (16 October 2013). "Two schools to share site in city's east". The Press. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  10. "Avonside Girls, Shirley Boys to be built at QEII". Stuff.co.nz. 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
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