Ellesmere College is a co-educational

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, located in

Leeston Leeston (Māori: ''Karumata'') is a town on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres southwest of Christchurch, between the shore of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and the mouth of the Rakaia River. The ...

in the Canterbury Region of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, with close to 500 students ranging from ages eleven to eighteen. It aims to provide students with a range of learning experiences, aiming to make its students good contributors to

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

. It encourages voluntary activities such as music lessons,

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

, and

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

History

Ellesmere College was founded in 1981, with a roll of 380 students, replacing

Southbridge District High School The Southbridge District High School was a school in New Zealand until 1981. History The Southbridge Primary School which is still in use today, based in Southbridge, New Zealand, was founded in 1868 with a roll of 20 students. The school was e ...

Significant events

* 1980 – Ellesmere College was built in

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...

and transported to the present site. One classroom was lost during transportation in the

Rakaia River The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand. The Rakaia River has a mean flow of and a mean annual seven-day low flow of . In the 1850s, Eu ...

. * 1981 – Ellesmere College opened in February with 380 students and 23 staff. * 1983 – The

gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...

nasium was completed. * 1984 – The official opening of Ellesmere College was declared by Hon Merv Wellington. * 1985 – More classrooms were built. * 1986 – The gymnasium was enlarged and dedicated to Riki Ellison. * 1987 – The

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

was extended. * 1988 – The playground was opened. * 1994 – Ken Dawson was declared the new principal. * 1997 – The library was split to form a new classroom, L2l * 2000 – The Health Education Centre opened. * 2008 – The gym was extended and the Wilson room was opened. * 2008 – The last founding staff member retired. * 2009 – The new stage and seating areas were completed. * 2009 – Ken Dawson announced his resignation. * 2010 – Students, staff and guests welcomed Gavin Kidd into the role as principal. * 2017 - Gavin Kidd announced his resignation. * 2018 - Ronan Bass appointed as Principal. * 2019 - $30M significant redevelopment of school announced by Prime Minister

Jacinda Ardern Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the member of ...

Notable alumni

* Sam Broomhall –

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...

* Daniel Carter –

References

External links

The school's official websiteEducation Review Office (ERO) reports
Secondary schools in Canterbury, New Zealand Educational institutions established in 1981 1981 establishments in New Zealand Selwyn District {{NewZealand-school-stub