| 115 T T Rosa Watson Campus expansion driven by demand The Whangārei Christian Education Trust, which owns the school as proprietors, has a vision to continue growing the school over the next 20 years to a roll of 1000 pupils. COMMUNITY Excellere College Whangārei -based Christian school Excellere College is expanding its site to keep up with its growing roll and community. The college is a state-integrated Year 0 to 13 area school that offers Christian faith and values-based education to the local community. It started 2025 with just over 330 students, with the roll expected to be around 350 students by the end of the year. “We are proud to be in our 45th year of providing Christian education in Northland, and are delighted that more and more families are choosing to enrol their children in a learning environment that reflects their home faith and values,” principal Andy Mouat says. He says it is something special to see the second generation of families come through the school. “Past students have returned years later to enrol their own children, and it’s a great connection point, and wonderful to share with them how much the school has grown and changed in a physical way, yet remained true to the original vision and purpose of giving people an alternative option for quality education.” As a state-integrated school the school has a Statement of Faith, which Andy says is its plumb line. “And we endeavour to uphold that in all we do and use it as our basis for decision-making.” With the roll continuing to grow, the school recently started a $3 million expansion involving the construction of four more classrooms and ablutions areas. “This is being driven by ongoing demand reflected in waiting lists for new students,” Andy says. The project is being funded by donations and annual attendance dues of $1000 per student per year. The Whangārei Christian Education Trust, which owns the school as proprietors, has a vision to continue growing the school over the next 20 years to a roll of 1000 pupils. “Over the last several years we have experienced increased demand in Christian education, with waitlists steady in most year levels now, not just the traditional points of Year 1, Year 7 and Year 9,” Andy says. The school serves the Northland region, attracting students from a 50-kilometre radius, and offers an alternative to the large state schools. Being unzoned, it also gives families a choice, Andy says. He says the senior college is producing outstanding academic results, with a growing range of subjects on offer. “More and more of our older students are staying with Excellere right through to graduation, instead of switching to another school to complete their education. We are humbled by the amount of interest out there and know that the search for the right school can be a really big deal.” Stage 1 of the expansion will enable the school to progress with catering for this interest and he hopes this will continue on to the third generation of students in the future. Each edition priority delivered to your door. Each . www.waterfordpress.co.nz/subscriptions . . . i i 03 983 5500 Stay informed; we work with business owners and decision-makers across all economic sectors, profiling their success. i ; i i i i - ll i , ili i . Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. r i , r I tr , r . businessnorth Despite the challenges of the job, East Coast farmer Toby Williams says rewards are easily found - page 6 Animal welfare at the heart of operation Spring 2020 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Business North Rural “More and more of our older students are staying with Excellere right through to graduation, instead of switching to another school to complete their education.”
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