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Scholars and Honours Board

A special feature of this school is its magnificent academic record. The primary focus of Auckland Grammar School is of course academia – every other aspect of school life is secondary to this. The first lines of our mission states:

“Auckland Grammar School will provide young men with a rigorous academic education. Each young man is expected to pursue excellence in acquiring knowledge and skills while upholding the School’s values.”

The young men who will cross the stage today deserve recognition for academic excellence in 2021. It is important to the very being of this school that we celebrate academia in the manner we do today.

Performance in Cambridge A level examinations and Scholarship examinations or equivalents in different decades of our history, have provided the benchmark indicators for inclusion on the prestigious honours boards that frame this hall.

These boards recognise top academic performers through our School’s history. Students who sat NZ Scholarship examinations and gained three or more scholarships are included on the honours board and both Cambridge and Scholarship results will be recognised in individual student citations read today.

The School through time has used external examinations as its benchmark. Because of their competitive nature and the all-round standard of attainment needed for success, these examinations inevitably favour young men who have been committed to their studies and have built resilience.

The Honours Boards that surround our hall are symbolic of the School’s academic mission and inclusion on them is rigorously earned.

The group of young men we honour today are top academic students from a talented Form 7 and 6A and B who were part of the make-up that earned this school its position as a top performing Cambridge School with nine special awards in Cambridge examinations, which included:

  • Seven High Achievement Awards
  • Twelve Top in New Zealand Awards; and
  • Seven High Achievement Awards

Alongside these awards the School was once again one of the top three performing schools in the country in NZQA Scholarship examinations, after students earned 152 individual scholarship awards in 2022. There is no doubt this supports our vision: ‘pre -eminence in boys’ secondary education.’

It is appropriate on this occasion, in the Great Hall, that we recognise our past – the foundation on which academic success continues to be built. There are many distinguished scholars who studied at Grammar and later received higher honours and academic recognition. Eminent scholars like Professor Peter McNaughton ’62, Professor Keith Hunter ’65, Professor Mark Warner ’65 and many others who have made contributions across a myriad of fields.

It is indeed a feature of Auckland Grammar School that the Honours Boards are around the hall and that we meet here daily – this symbolises the primary place that academia has in our School and is well-respected by our Old Boy community and the general public.

Entry onto this list is restricted to the top 10% of the entire form 7 cohort plus 6A and 6B. The lowest average mark on the Honours Board for 2022 is 92%.

A number of scholars have earned scholarships into NZ universities and many have gained direct entry into overseas universities. This is testament to the calibre of these young men and the support given to them by masters throughout their tenure at Auckland Grammar School.

My thanks to our masters for their commitment to providing rigorous academic courses and pathways, on call mentoring and tutoring that has aided the level of success celebrated. I hope their success serves as motivation for others to strive for excellence in your studies. Such success does not happen by accident.

Sir John Graham, the ninth Headmaster of Auckland Grammar School, offered the students at the end of 1976 the following advice. He said:

“Start thinking about what you want to do, don’t aim for the middle, aim for the top, and the top is not necessarily playing for New Zealand in sport, or being the top accountant or lawyer or heart surgeon. Aiming for the top means aiming for your personal best. It is not unhealthy to aim high; it is not unhealthy to be ambitious, but it is folly not to do your best. If you aim to do your best, you will be well along the way to making life the fun and challenge it should be.”

We have a group of scholars on stage who aimed for the top and reached their academic goals. Their personal best. We congratulate them for “leaving the jersey in a better place” and I encourage each of you to aim for the top in what you do, and enjoy the journey along the way, and the reward if it follows. 

Political journalist and Old Boy Matthew Hooton ’85 was the guest speaker for the 2023 Scholars’ Assembly, held on Friday 17 February. Click here to read his speech in full.

We wish each of the young men on stage the very best with their chosen studies in 2023 and their future careers. 

2022 Scholars:

Name Percentage scored and Scholarships Extracurricular Activities Area of study in 2023
R. Sidhu 97.333%
10 Scholarships with 4 Outstanding
Amnesty International
Asian Cultural Group
Chess – Senior Open
Interact Group
Mathex Mentor
Proceres Grammatici
2022 Prefect
2022 Dux

NZQA Scholarships in Biology, Earth and Space Science, English, Geography, Health and Physical Education and History

NZQA Outstanding Scholarships in Calculus, Chemistry, Physics and Statistics

NZQA Premier Award

Top in New Zealand in A Level Biology
Top in New Zealand in A Level Chemistry
Top in the World in A Level Physics

Best Across 3 A Levels in NZ

Top of the University Entrance Scholars Board 2021

Received an offer for direct entry into medicine from the University of Sydney, however he is considering Bachelor of Science with specialisation in Biomedical Science at the University of Auckland
M. Z. Yao 97.333%
9 Scholarships with 5 Outstanding

Asian Cultural Group
Debating Premier Advanced
Kendo
Literati
Proceres Grammatici
2022 Prefect

Scholarships in Art History, Chemistry, Calculus and Earth and Space Science

Outstanding Scholarships in English, Geography, Health and Physical Education, History and Physics

NZQA Top of Subject Awards – Health and Physical Education and History

NZQA Premier Award University Entrance

Scholars Board 2021

Maths, Environmental Policy and/or Economics at a university to be decided in the United States
E. H. Lee 96%
5 Scholarships with 2 Outstanding

Amnesty International Committee
Asian Cultural Tutoring
Cross Country
Debating
Distance Squad
Interact Group
Literati
Orienteering
Proceres Grammatici

Scholarships in English, Physics and Statistics

Outstanding Scholarships in Biology and Chemistry

NZQA Top of Subject Award – Chemistry

NZQA Outstanding Scholar Award

University Entrance Scholars Board 2021

A Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Sydney
D. L. Johnston 95.333%
5 Scholarships with 4 Outstanding

Cricket
Football
Interact Group
Proceres Grammatici
2022 Prefect

Scholarship in Calculus

Outstanding Scholarships in Economics, English, History and Statistics

NZQA Top of Subject Award – Economics

NZQA Premier Award

Top in New Zealand in A Level Economics

University Entrance Scholars Board 2021

A Bachelor of Law and Commerce, majoring in Economics, at the University of Otago
R. Shi 94.667%
3 Scholarships with 1 Outstanding

Badminton
Chamber Music
Duke of Edinburgh
Interact Group
Korean Cultural Group
Proceres Grammatici
Yachting
2022 Prefect

Scholarships in Chemistry and Geography

Outstanding Scholarship in English

A Bachelor of Science, majoring in Anatomy and Histology, and a Doctor of Dental Medicine at the University of Sydney
W. X. Wang 94.667%
5 Scholarships with 2 Outstanding

Asian Board Games
Badminton
Chess
Mathex Mentor
Orienteering
Proceres Grammatici

Scholarships in Calculus, Chemistry English, and Statistics

Outstanding Scholarships in Geography and Physics

NZQA Outstanding Scholar Award

University Entrance Scholars Board 2021

A Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Sydney
J. K. D. Kumar 94.4%
5 2 Scholarships with 1 Outstanding

Chronicle Committee
Debating
Distance Squad
Duke of Edinburgh
Football
Interact Group
Itinerant Music
Leadership Camp
Library Monitor
MUNA
Orienteering
Tennis
2023 Prefect

Scholarships in Earth and Space Science, English, Geography and Statistics

Outstanding Scholarship in Chemistry

NZQA Outstanding Scholar Award

7A
C. C. P. McCulley 94.2%
3 Scholarships with 1 Outstanding
Asian Cultural Group
Football
Interact Group
Table Tennis

Scholarships in Chemistry and Statistics

Outstanding Scholarship in English

7A
Z. Song 94%
3 Scholarships

Asian Cultural Group
Asian Cultural Tutoring
Distance Squad
Duke of Edinburgh
Football
Interact Group
International Student Buddy Programme
Leadership Camp
MUNA
Table Tennis
2023 Prefect

Scholarship in Calculus, Economics and Statistics

7A
M. S. Griffiths 94%
2 Scholarships

Asian Cultural Tutoring
Big Band
Chronicle Committee
Distance Squad
Football
Golf
Headmaster’s Welfare Committee
Interact Group
Literati
Proceres Grammatici
World Vision
2022 Senior Prefect

Scholarships in English and Geography

University Entrance Scholars Board 2021

A Bachelor of Medicine at an overseas university
E. Zheng 93.667%
3 Scholarships

Asian Cultural Media Group
Chess
Concert Band
Interact Group
International Student Buddy Programme
Mathex Mentor
Proceres Grammatici
Swimming

Scholarships in Calculus, Chemistry and Physics

A Bachelor of Science, majoring in Computer Science, at the University of Auckland
S. Zhang 93.667%
3 Scholarships

Amnesty International Committee
Asian Cultural Tutoring
Chess
Chronicle Committee
Fencing
Interact Group
Literati
Mathex Mentor
Orienteering
Proceres Grammatici
World Vision

Scholarships in English, Health and Physical Education and Statistics

Top in the World in A Level History

Cognitive Neuroscience and Machine Learning at a university to be decided in the United States
O. J. Gunson 93.6%
5 Scholarships with 1 Outstanding

Cross Country
Distance Squad
Duke of Edinburgh
Football
Leadership Camp
Library Monitor
Orienteering
2023 Prefect

Scholarships in Biology, Calculus, Earth and Space Science and English

Outstanding Scholarship in Chemistry

NZQA Outstanding Scholar Award

Top in New Zealand is AS Biology

7A
T. Meng 93.333%
2 Scholarships with 1 Outstanding

International Student Buddy Programme
Proceres Grammatici
Table Tennis

Scholarship in Chemistry

Outstanding Scholarship in Physics

Note: Meng started in 3L in 2018

Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College, London
A. Sun 93.2%
2 Scholarships

Asian Cultural Group
Interact Group
Orienteering
Symphony Orchestra

Scholarships in English and Statistic

7A
R. Eldik 92.667%
3 Scholarships

Amnesty International Committee
Chronicle Committee
Fencing
Interact Group
Proceres Grammatici
Writer’s Group

Scholarships in Classical Studies, Physics and Statistics

University Entrance Scholars Board 2021

Note: Eldik started in 3J in 2018

A Bachelor of Advanced Science, majoring in Physics, at the University of Auckland
O. Gupta 92.4%
2 Scholarships

Indian Cultural Group
Interact Group
Sri Lankan Cultural Group
Table Tennis
2023 Prefect

Scholarships in Accounting and English

7A
A. Shinde 92.4%
2 Scholarships

Asian Cultural Tutoring
Football
Indian Cultural Group
Interact Group
Literati
Sustainability Group
Table Tennis

Scholarships in Earth and Space Science and Geography

Top in the World in AS Mathematics

7A
B. K. O’Callahan 92%
3 Scholarships

Amnesty International Committee
Badminton
Chess
Interact Group
Literati
Mathex Mentor
Orienteering
Proceres Grammatici

Scholarships in Chemistry, Classical Studies and Physics

A double major in Computer Science and Physics at the University of Auckland
N. J. Clarke 3 Scholarships with 1 Outstanding

Cross Country
Duke of Edinburgh
Grammarphonics
Grammar Voices
Hockey
Interact Group
Leadership Camp
2023 Prefect

Scholarships in Classical Studies and Media Studies

Outstanding Scholarship in English

7A
L. T. Trotman 3 Scholarships

Hockey
Literati
MUNA

Scholarships in Agriculture and Horticulture, English and History

A Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Economics and Finance, at the University of Auckland
L. T. Vatuvei 3 Scholarships

Asian Cultural Group
Grammar Voices
Programming Group
Rugby 1st XV
Tongan Cultural Group
2022 Prefect

Scholarships in Classical Studies, Media Studies and Religious Studies

A conjoint Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law at the University of Auckland