Ponsonby locals are very familiar with the sight of St Paul’s College students, resplendent in their smart navy uniforms, as they make their way to and from the school half-way down Richmond Road. St Paul’s is not a large school, but it achieves well beyond its size in every area: sporting, cultural and academic.
The College recently held its annual Achievers Assembly to celebrate the academic results from 2025, which were remarkable. In NCEA Level 2, the College’s pass rate was 90 percent, compared with the national average of 73 percent. At Level 3 the pass rate was even higher at 95 percent, a long way above the national average of 70 percent. Speaking at the Assembly were two St Paul’s old boys who recently qualified as doctors, Dr Joseph Johnston (class of 2019) and Dr Jodeci Namulau’ulu Sio (class of 2013). They spoke passionately about the importance of dreaming big and putting in the work required to meet one’s goals.
On top of these successes in NCEA came the achievements of St Paul’s young men in the New Zealand Scholarship exam, the highest academic honour that can be gained by secondary school students in Aotearoa New Zealand. Only a tiny number of students pass the Scholarship exam, most of them from schools at the top of the economic ladder. For a school like St Paul’s, whose students mainly come from families with limited resources, to have achieved three Scholarship passes is amazing, and a reflection of years of work from staff and students alike.
Headmaster Keith Simento has led the St Paul’s Scholarship programme for a number of years now, with selected students being encouraged to put in the hours required to be able to attempt the examination. Success in Scholarship requires a special effort both from the young men who have to study for the exam, and from teachers willing to put in the extra hours to ensure that the students are fully prepared.
The College is now seeing the results from the Scholarship programme, with Finn Lloyd passing in Religious Education, Zephan Pita-Lafaele in Health and Physical Education, and Matthew Blanch in English. They are all multitalented students, with achievements in many different areas.
Finn was a prefect in 2025, wrote articles and took photographs for the College yearbook, and was awarded the trophy for senior debating. He says that, “St Paul’s is like the New Zealand of New Zealand schools: constantly punching well above our weight, driven by intense pride in our College, and an unwavering desire to achieve whatever we set out to do!” Finn has recently embarked on a law degree at the University of Auckland. His proud mother Jo says of her choice to send her sons to St Paul’s, “A long-term Grey Lynn resident, I’ve watched St Paul’s College with great interest. When the important decision around secondary schooling for my two sons arose, the obvious choice lay just beyond the gates of Marist primary school in Herne Bay. St Paul’s offers an intimate educational environment, one where academic and sporting excellence is expected and a well-rounded graduate, grounded in the Marist Christian tradition is guaranteed. We attended multiple open days at other colleges, but as my son embarks on a legal degree at the University of Auckland with a Scholarship exam and funding under his wings I know we made the right decision. I encourage anyone local to experience our rich St Paul’s environment.”
Zephan, who served as Deputy Head Prefect in 2025, also captained the 1st XV in the elite Auckland 1A competition. He was a part of the Rugby League 1st XIII team who came runner-up in the National Championship, as well as a member of the College choir “Confortare” that won a gold award the 2025 Big Sing Upper North Island Cadenza Final. Zephan was granted a full scholarship worth $75,000 to Lincoln University, where he is studying property management.
Matthew is still at the College, having gained his Scholarship in English at year 12, a truly outstanding achievement. He is enjoying being a College prefect with academic portfolio in 2026, and will be captain of the St Paul’s senior debating team. Matthew takes a coaching role with junior students who are preparing for the challenge of Scholarship exams.
The St Paul’s motto is confortare esto vir – “take courage, be a man” – an ideal embodied by the young men of the College, and one which inspires the students to pursue the highest goals.
For enrolment enquiries please contact enrol@stpaulscollege.co.nz. Ms Brenda Haybittle
HOD English, St Paul’s College
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