106 | Makeover ramps up student opportunities COMMUNITY Golden Bay High School T T Virginia Wright “With the Technology Building refurbishment, all of the learning spaces within the school have either been rebuilt or refurbished, which gives us fantastic facilities going forward, and gives the students a sense of pride in their school, which supports their engagement and motivation.” Providing Project Management and Quantity Surveying services in partnership with Golden Bay High School. 021 0828 0753 office@noblepm.nz www.noblepm.nz Jono Hay began as principal of Golden Bay High School at the start of 2024, and since his arrival he has overseen the completion of what is a near total rebuild and refurbishment of the school’s buildings, including the B Block with its Performing Arts hub, the Visual Arts refurbishment, and the Science Lab redevelopment. The school’s 310 students come from a large catchment that covers the southern and central parts of the Golden Bay region, with the Abel Tasman National Park on one side and the Kahurangi National Park on the other. The school serves a diverse and very supportive community, and the students are offered all sorts of opportunities, both inside and outside the school, ranging from performing arts, drama and music through to outdoor activities such as mountain biking, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, rock- climbing, or joining the school’s caving team. As well as the wide range of activities offered by their natural environment and community, the students now also have an on-campus learning environment designed and built to nourish their more formal education for the foreseeable future. The Technology Building, scheduled to open for the start of the second term, is the last of the buildings to get a makeover. Its comprehensive refurbishment was completed within the same footprint, and kept the existing framework, while the interior and exterior cladding, wiring, and the roof have been replaced. The result is a functional and comfortable learning environment with industry-standard materials and machinery designed to set the students up for their future pathways, particularly in the trades. “From laser cutters and welding equipment to fume extraction in the engineering area and dust extraction in the wood-working area, we’re now fully up to the standard you’d expect in 2026,” says Principal Hay. “With modern machinery like the laser cutter that can incorporate digital technologies, we can increasingly set people up to work in design and the creative arts along with engineering, building, joinery and the like.” Nationally, statistics show that typically around 30% of students will go on to university, and Principal Hay believes that providing pathways for the other 70% is essential. “To have them as well-prepared as possible to go out and move into an apprenticeship, for example, is something that we see as a priority, and being able to offer those unit standards relies on having the right sort of machinery and equipment to support them, whether it’s a table saw or a 3-D printer. “With the Technology Building refurbishment, all of the learning spaces within the school have either been rebuilt or refurbished, which gives us fantastic facilities going forward, and gives the students a sense of pride in their school, which supports their engagement and motivation.” In the last few years, Golden Bay High School has been transformed by the multi-million-dollar redevelopment from the tired and ageing campus it once was to the vibrant learning environment steeped in local culture that it is now, designed to prepare students for whichever pathway they choose in the future. The Technology Building, scheduled to open for the start of the second term, is the last of the buildings to get a makeover.
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