Simply the Best
Executive Principal, Peter Clague, reflects on two significant anniversaries at Kristin and their implications for the school's reputation for success in the International Baccalaureate.
 The release of Malcolm Gladwell's latest book, Outliers ~ The Story Of Success has rekindled interest in what is known as the 10,000 Hour Rule; a theory which suggests that to become truly expert in anything requires 10,000 hours of practice.
10,000 hours is usually considered to equate to roughly ten years of sustained practice and hence, is of particular interest to Kristin as we celebrate two anniversaries in our success as an International Baccalaureate (IB) school.
Twenty years ago, we were the first school in New Zealand to offer the IB Diploma, a prestigious and internationally renown Senior qualification. Two decades on, the school boasts a record of a sustained 98% pass rate and double the world average for top scores. Our graduates regularly gain entry to the best universities in the world, qualify for scholarships and awards and excel in higher study. The rigorous two-year Diploma programme prepares our Seniors for the world ahead of them, with an emphasis on personal motivation, self-confidence and global-mindedness.
Following the success and international esteem of the Diploma, the IB organisation later developed programmes for Primary and Middle Schools. This year also marks our tenth anniversary as the first school in New Zealand to offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP). For the past decade, our Junior School students have been taught the same NZ Curriculum as every other child in the country, but in a different way. PYP is an inquiry-based model of integrated study which produces a personal Learner Profile of every child. Attributes such as being principled, open-minded, reflective, inquiring and risk-taking are valued and reported on.
The 10,000 Hour Rule applies equally to Kristin's Middle School, the first school of its kind to be established in New Zealand more than a decade ago. Recently accredited to offer IB's Middle Year Programme (MYP), the educational focus combines the same elements of holistic education, inter-cultural awareness and communication skills as the Diploma and PYP.
Kristin has established a commitment to the principles and philosophies of the International Baccalaureate throughout its history and this ethos helps guarantee our ongoing success. We have stuck to task and refined our practice, modelling for our students the importance of critical self-review, determined effort and a commitment to excellence. As IB programmes begin to enjoy greater prominence in New Zealand, we can look back on our decades of experience and count the hours of sustained classroom practice that give Kristin's teachers the right to be called experts.
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