High marks are not achieved through good blood lines or bulging bank accounts, they come from hard work and encouragement, says the principal of New Zealand's top school, St Cuthbert's College.
Lynda Reid is not keen on comparing student performances at every school from decile 1 to 10,but will not apologise for the annual success of her girls, who regularly exceed every qualification standard.
In the Herald top 10 schools for 2002, St Cuthbert's had the highest percentage of top Sixth Form Certificate results and Bursary scholarship marks, were third in NCEA and fifth in overall Bursary achievement.
After seven years as principal of the private school, Mrs Reid pointed to three factors that helped her school finish clear from the pack every year.
Most important were the girls themselves, she said.
"They really strive for excellence. You never hear them saying: 'I'm aiming for an A Bursary with the minimum 301 points'. They each aim for the best they can do, and not just the high flyers, it's across the board."
Such commitment was vital to succeed, said Mrs Reid, but it needed to be directed by an energised teaching staff.
The school placed a heavy emphasis on continuous on-the-job training. Every teacher took part in the self-styled "Horizon Hour" on Tuesday evenings, run in conjunction with Unitec for individualised programmes in anything from management courses to communication technology.
The third factor was an emphasis on innovation and ongoing improvement. "We want a situation where no teacher ever teaches the same lesson the same way twice."
Teachers are encouraged to take part in national forums and participate in curriculum planning.
Mrs Reid said ongoing internal assessment made the NCEA programme more challenging than the information recall and regurgitation favoured by School Certificate.
