Curious about a school that dared to be different? That’s Albany Senior High School. This state coeducational school opened in February 2009. It was New Zealand’s first state senior secondary school. Albany Senior High School caters to students in Years 11 to 13. That is ages 14 to 18. Most New Zealand secondary schools traditionally cater for Years 9 to 13. In November 2024, the school roll was 792 students.
Albany Senior High School was born from Auckland’s North Shore population growth. It was the first new state secondary school in the area since 1975. The school’s construction faced protracted disputes about its siting. This delayed the process. Initially, Albany Senior High School operated from Albany Junior High School.
Let’s talk about the classrooms at Albany Senior High School. Almost all classes happen in large open-plan areas called Learning Commons. Only classes needing other resources are exempt. These spaces allow flexibility. Teachers can combine two classes into one. They can combine similar subjects. Physics and mathematics can be taught together. Access to technology is easy. Students use laptops and cellphones to edit Google Docs together in real-time. They use Gchat to ask and answer questions. Students can search Google to answer teachers’ questions. Teaching periods are 100 minutes long. This is twice the length of typical periods in New Zealand.
Every Wednesday, Albany Senior High School students do a community-based impact project. This involves performing an act for the community. Impact projects have included forming a business. Students organize and perform a School of Rock concert. They build a video server and digital signage solution for the school. Other students restore local waterways. They design build and program a robot for the Robocup competition. Students also create original artworks for the school.
From 2009 to 2019, Albany Senior High School’s computer network ran on open-source software. This included desktops and staff laptops. The school’s student management system was the only major exception. It used a proprietary system. No open-source system met New Zealand requirements. Albany Senior High School won an award. It was the Best Open Source Project in Education. This was at the New Zealand Open Source Awards 2010.
Prime Minister John Key officially opened Albany Senior High School in February 2009. Students were temporarily housed in cabins at Albany Junior High. This was while their school building was being completed. The original Albany School building was destroyed in a fire in 1897. It was rebuilt the same year. Today, it is located on the grounds of Albany Senior High School.
Earthworks for Albany Senior High School affected archaeological site R10/1135. Northern Archaeological Research Ltd. monitored the earthworks. Artefacts from the school building range from 1876 to 1956. Albany Senior High School provides an Academic Plus education. The A stands for excellent academic results. The plus is innovation creativity and future-focused skills. Students gain these skills through Impact Projects.
Albany Senior High School has a vision. The school wants to nurture inspire and empower students. It wants them to achieve highly and be good citizens. Albany Senior High School aims to be future-focused and innovative. The school provides students with learning that is visible deep and inclusive. The school’s motto is It’s not if you are bright it’s how you are bright. Albany Senior High School celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019.
So, as you stand here think about the innovation happening within Albany Senior High School. The school shapes future leaders. The school encourages students to think outside the box. It’s a place where learning truly comes alive.