Important Notices from the Headmaster – August 2023

Reporting 

Mid-year reports are in the process of being completed for all year groups. We anticipate these reports will be distributed electronically via the Parent Portal this week.  Parents will be informed by email when the reports are available.

We encourage parents to discuss the contents of the report with your son and work with him to review his goals for the remainder of 2023.

The final report of the year will be in hard copy form, and given to students at the conclusion of Prizegiving on Friday 1 December.

2023 Subject Options Selection Process for 2024 Options

In order to assist you and your son with course planning and subject option selection for 2024, please note the following:

• Students in Form 3 will be given the Form 4 Option Choices for 2024 document and guidance regarding selecting options in class on Friday 4 August. Students in Forms 4, 5 and 6 attended an Options Briefing as follows: Form 4 had their briefing on Monday 31 July and Forms 5 and 6 had their briefing on Tuesday 1 August. At these briefings, students were given form-level and cohort-specific information and advice about course planning and selecting their subject options for 2024.  At the briefing, students also received a copy of the 2024 Course Handbook
• Detailed subject-specific information about the curriculum, course planning, subject option selection and descriptors of courses available next year, including all Form 4, Pre-Q, Cambridge and NCEA courses can be found on the Departments and Faculties section of the School website
• The 2023 Options Evening will be held in the Great Hall on Tuesday 8 August. This is an opportunity for parents and Forms 4-6 students to meet with staff from all departments to find out about and ask questions regarding the courses and options available next year. There will also be a presentation from Associate Headmaster- Academic Dr John Etty on the Pre-Q curriculum and assessment system and the School’s Dual Pathway (Cambridge and NCEA) which operates in the Senior School
• 2024 Options Selection for students will open online on Wednesday 9 August. An email with details of how to complete this process will be sent to parents of students in Forms 3, 4, 5 and 6 along with a link to the Options Selections form. Options Selections will close on Friday 18 August

2023 Cambridge Revision Classes

The Association of Cambridge Schools in New Zealand is holding Cambridge Revision Classes during the Term 3 holidays (Monday 25 September – Friday 6 October), with all classes being held at Auckland Grammar School. Information about these revision classes, including the registration form, is available from the Association of Cambridge Schools website.

NCEA Internal Assessment Tracking Report

An NCEA Achievement Tracking Report for all NCEA students is available to parents on the Parent Portal. This has been designed to assist parents in supporting and monitoring their son’s progress towards achieving his academic goals and gaining the appropriate NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3 Certificate (for all NCEA students) and University Entrance (for Form 7 NCEA students).

The report shows all internally-assessed and externally-assessed Achievement Standards available in their son’s chosen subjects, including final internal assessment results and indicative external assessment (NCEA examination) results.

NCEA students can also create a Learner Login and use the NZQA website track their NCEA achievement and work out the number of credits they have to date and set goals for the number of externally-assessed credits they will need to gain from their NCEA external examinations. NCEA students were given their NSN (National Student Number) cards, which they will need to create an account, at the Form Period on Thursday 27 July.

Cambridge AS Resit Information

Cambridge May/June AS Resit examination results will be released to candidates on the evening of Thursday 10 August. Students have received a copy of their username and password details to access their results online.

NZQA Scholarship Examinations

Entries for NZQA Scholarship examinations have now closed. Students in Form 7 and 6A, 6B and 6C attended a briefing on NZQA Scholarship on Tuesday 25 July and were given the opportunity to collect a copy of the 2023 NZQA Scholarship Information Guide and Application Form.

Payment of Cambridge and NZQA Examination Fees and Pre-Q Donation

It is School policy that all students studying senior qualification courses will enter for external examinations in all of their timetabled subjects, and students are not able to withdraw from examinations, except on approved serious medical grounds.

The schedule of examination fees and donations is set out below:

• Cambridge AS and A2 Fees: $184.95 per subject
• NZQA Fees for domestic students: From 2019 NZQA has removed all fees for NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 and NZQA New Zealand Scholarship for domestic students
• NZQA Fees for international (fee-paying) students:
  • NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3: $383.30 (irrespective of number of subjects)
  • NZQA New Zealand Scholarship: $102.20 per subject
• Pre-Q Donation (Form 5 students): $100 (irrespective of number of subjects)

 It is important to note that:

• The final date for payment of Cambridge Examination Fees is Friday 11 August. After this date there is no refund of fees for Cambridge examinations as entries will have been submitted to Cambridge, except on approved medical grounds. Note any amendments to entries will incur a substantial late fee from Cambridge
• Entry for NZQA New Zealand Scholarship Examinations is optional.  Entries were taken by the School up to the closing date of Friday 4 August. Entries are then uploaded to NZQA and the School will invoice International Students (as above, there is no fee for domestic students)
• The School would appreciate payment of the Pre-Q Donation as soon as is practicable

While we encourage your use of the Parent Portal, other payment options are:

• Cheque to Auckland Grammar School, Private Bag 99930, Newmarket, Auckland 1149
• Cash, credit card or EFTPOS at the School Finance Office
• Internet banking to account number 12-3011-0156506-00 referencing your son’s name and Form Class

For assistance from our Finance Department, please phone 09 623 5425 or email accounts@ags.school.nz.

Individual and Form Class Photographs

In the middle of Term 3, parents will receive a shoot key code via email for their son’s portrait and form class photographs. The online system works off each student’s name, giving them an individual shoot key code to view and order photographs.

Students and parents can go online to the PhotoLife website to view and order their photographs. The order will include postage and packaging costs to allow photographs to be delivered directly home.

Extracurricular photographs will be uploaded to the same shoot key codes once processed during the year.

Winter Tournament Week

During Week 7 (Monday 28 August – Friday 1 September), many of our top sportsmen will be competing at various National tournaments. Please note that the School will be closed for a mid-term break on Thursday 31 August and Friday 1 September.

Leave Requests

Any special leave requests for a student to have time off School should be emailed directly to the Headmaster’s Executive Assistant.  Requests for a student to compete at sporting, performing arts or cultural competitions can be considered, alongside requests for family bereavements. Please contact the Headmaster’s Executive Assistant Debbie Watson via email at ea@ags.school.nz.

As parents begin to make plans for Christmas holidays please be aware the 2023 School year concludes after Prizegiving on Friday 1 December. Leave will not be approved for students to go on holiday any earlier than the conclusion of Term 4.

Traffic and Car Parking 

The School reminds parents to please refrain from entering Gates 1-4 on Mountain Road at the beginning and end of the School day when there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic entering and leaving the School.