2025 Scholarship and NCEA Results
Scholarship Success 2025
New Zealand Scholarship is an award that recognises top secondary school students.
NZ Scholarship assessments are designed to be challenging for the most able students in each subject. Assessment is by either a written or spoken examination or by the submission of a portfolio or report of work produced throughout the year.
To be awarded the NZ Scholarship, students are expected to show deep understanding of the subject, demonstrate high-level critical thinking and the ability to apply their understanding to complex situations.
Students who achieve NZ Scholarship receive a monetary award towards tertiary study in New Zealand. This ranges from a one-off $500 payment for a single subject award to $10,000 per year for up to 3 years for premier award winners.
In 2025, Sacred Heart College students gained 46 Scholarships. This was achieved by 27 students in 16 subjects.
- 3 scholarships at the Outstanding level: two in English and one in Religious Studies
- 11 scholarships in English including 2 at Outstanding
- 8 Scholarships in Religious Education including one at Outstanding
- 4 scholarships in Biology
- 3 scholarships in Calculus, Chemistry, Physics and History
- 17 boys in Year 13 gained scholarships, 8 in Year 12 and 2 in Year 11
- Wei (Zhen) Ng (Year 13) and Yee Sum (Sam) Chan gained an impressive five scholarships each and Timothy Lai's results were also impressive as he gained four scholarships including one at Outstanding level
- Wei (Zhen) Ng, Yee Sum (Sam) Chan and Timothy Lai will have their names engraved on the Academic Honours’ Board (3+ in a year)
Congratulations to each and every student who gained scholarships, we are extremely proud of you and know the effort that went into this success.
Thanks go to all our teachers, particularly those who ran scholarship programmes last year. Your dedication, commitment and expertise are very much appreciated. It is important to note that to obtain a scholarship, candidates must be in the top 3% of marks and 1% to obtain an Outstanding scholarship. These results signify we have many top academic boys at a National level. Special thanks to Mrs Mary Graham and Mr Jason Cornford who are key drivers in this area with dedicated teachers.
NCEA Results for 2025
Our 2025 academic results saw the culmination of hard work and dedication from our students and staff through a year which saw the College achieved outstanding results. It was also the second year that the whole of Year 11 completed their Sacred Heart College certificate, in place of NCEA Level 1, which the College no longer offers. The roll out of the certificate is designed to assist in strengthening the Learning Culture through its structure, design and high standards.
Sacred Heart achieved an 86.3% University Entrance (UE) pass rate, reflective of the hard work of staff and students but stubbornly short of our goal for UE of 90%. In addition, at Year 13 the Level 3 pass rate was 93.7% for the College.
Pass rates at Level 2 dropped to 92.9%, reflecting the higher literacy and numeracy standards required to pass any level of NCEA. Very pleasing was the record high number of students at Level 3 gaining their qualification with an Excellence endorsement (26.4%), while the number of students at Level 2 gaining an Excellence endorsement remained stable at 21.2%. All these results compare very favourably against schools of a similar type.
The continued focus for the College in 2026 is the ongoing development in the students of the desire to stretch themselves when setting their academic targets and through hard work and great teaching, achieve their personal academic best.
Breaking down some of our statistics further, 93% of our Māori students from Year 13 gaining their UE qualification, a record high and an outstanding result, while the number of Samoan students gaining their UE rose to 91%, also a record high.
These results put us among the very best schools in the country for academic results. The results also show the continued strengthening of our learning and culture for achieving personal academic excellence.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Scholarship Passes | 46 | 45 | 56 | 49 | 53 |
| University Entrance | 86% | 85% | 84% | 83% | 88% |
| Level 3 | 94% | 92% | 91% | 95% | 91% |
| Endorsed Merit | 32% | 35% | 35% | 32% | 34% |
| Endorsed Excellence | 26% | 20% | 22% | 22% | 33% |
| Level 2 | 93% | 99.5% | 97% | 95% | 97% |
| Endorsed Merit | 34% | 33% | 31% | 36% | 36% |
| Endorsed Excellence | 21% | 20% | 22% | 27% | 30% |
