We have a great team, who encourage the students to respect each other, make responsible choices, show kindness, honesty and courage, participate, and achieve their potential.”
A strong family culture and community spirit makes boarding at St Andrew’s College a special experience. Our caring, enthusiastic staff understand that boarding is a significant life change for students and their families, and are dedicated to providing a warm, friendly, safe environment, and a happy home away from home.
St Andrew’s is the only independent co-educational secondary school in the South Island offering boarding to both boys and girls from Year 9 to Year 13. We uphold the best traditions of more than 100 years as a boarding school, while reflecting modern principles of residential care. Our state-of-the-art Boarding Houses were opened in the heart of the College campus in 2013. They provide an exceptional boarding environment, in which the safety and well-being of our boarders is of vital importance.
Communal living and sharing helps students to develop a number of personal attributes, including self-discipline, independence, maturity and leadership skills. We encourage boarders to embrace all of the wonderful opportunities on offer at St Andrew’s, and to achieve their potential both inside and out of the classroom. Academic support and a well-structured social calendar with lots of fun activities are other key aspects of boarding life at St Andrew’s. Our boarders forge strong friendships, many of which last well beyond their school days.
The central location of our Boarding Houses on campus provides students with direct after-hours access to sports facilities, the Library, Computer Suites, music practice facilities and art rooms. The College’s location close to Northlands Mall, Merivale Mall and central Christchurch provides opportunities for organised social outings.
Our warm, friendly environment extends to boarders’ families, who are always welcome to attend school events and functions, and join us for meals in the dining room. Lounge areas in our Boarding Houses providing a relaxing place for boarders and their families to meet.
For further information about any aspect of boarding at St Andrew’s College, please contact the Director of Boarding, Matt Parr on MPA@stac.school.nz or +64 21 460 673.
Our talented friendly catering team, led by Head Chef and Catering Manager, Russell Gray, prepares nutritious, wholesome food tailored for the needs of growing, active young men and women.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the boarders’ dining room in Strowan House, which is both the social and physical hub of the College. Morning tea, afternoon tea and suppers are also provided.
We are happy to accommodate special dietary requirements, such as gluten-free and vegetarian. You can discuss special dietary needs or nutritional requirements, such as allergies, with one of our Assistant House Managers, who will advise our catering team.
In addition to boarders’ meals, our bright, spacious dining room is the venue for a number of special boarders’ events throughout the year, including the Valentine’s Day, Mid-winter Christmas, and Boarders’ dinners.
A lively in-house social life is a key aspect boarding life at St Andrew’s. We hold a variety of dinners, concerts and celebrations to give boarders across all year levels the opportunity to dress up, perform and generally have fun together.
The school year commences with a boarders’ Top Town weekend, featuring various fun sporting competitions. It is an ideal way to welcome new boarding students and create House spirit. Boarders love to dress up in colourful and sometimes outrageous costumes for the traditional Valentine’s Day and Mid-winter Christmas dinners, where a fiercely fought House competition usually takes place.
Special outings and weekend day trips are organised by our boarding staff. We endeavour to cater for the varying interests, skills and preferences of individual boarders as we plan our busy programme.
The annual Boarders’ Assembly is another eagerly anticipated event where boarders can showcase their backgrounds and heritage. During the Assembly it is not uncommon to see various forms of farm transport and even four-legged visitors take the stage.
Boarders have a well-structured routine at St Andrew’s College, which creates a safe and friendly boarding atmosphere.
The school day begins at 7.00am, with a tutor wake-up call and breakfast. By 8.00am students must be neatly presented, wearing the correct uniform and ready to start the day.
After attending morning classes, lunch is served in the dining room, during which boarders wear their full uniform and blazers.
After school, students are often busy with co-curricular activities. Students may request permission from the Assistant House Manager to go shopping at Norman’s Road, Northlands Mall or Merivale Mall.
Dinner is served in the dining room at 5.15pm. This is followed by a minimum of 1 hour 30 minutes allocated for Prep between 6.00–8.00pm. Prep is a productive work period, relating to the students’ academic programme and is supervised by the tutors.
After Prep, with staff permission, Year 11–13 students may take restricted leave, usually to local eateries.
Bedtime ranges from 9.30pm to 10.30pm depending on year levels.
Weekends are also well structured at St Andrew’s, with boarders participating in various sports on and off campus, taking leave that has been approved by their tutors, and enjoying a range of organised activities.
Rutherford Boarding House
Around 60 boys from Years 11–13 live in our senior boys’ Boarding House, Rutherford, which opened in 2013 and provides modern, state-of-the art boarding accommodation. Students share twin or quad rooms, divided into semi-private spaces encompassing a comfortable bed, desk, wardrobe and storage facilities, and a pin board.
The House has spaces where students can relax and socialise together, with day lounges on each floor. Television is available with limited SKY options, along with free Wi-Fi and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities.
Students enjoy a range of weekend boarders’ activities including attendance at a variety of national-level sporting events and local cultural activities, such as art exhibitions and theatre shows, going to Crusaders’ games, Laserstrike or tenpin bowling.
Thompson Boarding House
Around 60 girls from Years 9–13 live in our girls’ Boarding House, Thompson, which also opened in 2013 and provides modern, state-of-the art boarding accommodation. Students share twin or quad rooms, divided into semi-private spaces encompassing a comfortable bed, desk, wardrobe and storage facilities, and a pin board.
The House has spaces where students can relax and socialise together, with day lounges on each floor. Television is available with limited SKY options, along with free Wi-Fi and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities.
Students enjoy a range of weekend boarders’ activities including attendance at a variety of national-level sporting events and local cultural activities, such as art exhibitions and theatre shows, going to Crusaders’ games, Laserstrike or tenpin bowling.
MacGibbon Boarding House
Around 48 boys from Years 9–11 live in our junior boys’ Boarding House, MacGibbon. The building was strengthened after the 2011 earthquakes and is strong, safe and sturdy. Students share practical twin or quad rooms, with a comfortable bed, desk, wardrobe, storage facilities and a pin board.
MacGibbon House has a fun, family environment, with a large open plan Common Room, and kitchenette, where boarders can relax, watch television and have a snack.
Students enjoy a range of weekend boarders’ activities including attendance at a variety of national-level sporting events and local cultural activities, such as art exhibitions and theatre shows, going to Crusaders’ games, Laserstrike or tenpin bowling.
2020 Boarding Fees (per annum) for New Zealand Residents
Years 9–13
$15,900
The fee for weekday-only boarders is the same.
Fee includes GST.
2020 Boarding Fees (per annum) for International Students
Years 9–13
$16,500
NZ$ per annum. Includes a New Zealand Goods and Services Tax. Paid in addition to tuition fees.
School Boarding Allowance
Students are eligible to apply for a boarding allowance if they demonstrate they are facing barriers to achieving educational success, and that boarding away from home will remove those barriers.
Students can apply for a boarding allowance if they meet one of the two eligibility criteria:
Access Barrier
The student’s home is geographically isolated, for example in a remote rural or island location, far from the nearest secondary school.
Multiple Barriers
The student’s educational success is negatively affected by:
For further information visit the Ministry of Education website here.
If you have any questions or need help with the application, contact the Boarding Allowance Team at the Ministry of Education.
P: +64 4 463 8085
E: boarding.allowances@education.govt.nz
Boarding Allowance Team
Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666
Wellington 6140
All applications for the following school year are due by 31 October each year.
Decisions are issued early December.
Travel Assistance
Students receiving a school boarding allowance are also eligible for travel assistance. The cost of travel at the beginning and end of each term, in excess of $10.00, will be refunded. The amount is based on public transport fares where such transport is available.
Secondary School Boarding Allowance
Senior College students who wish to study a course not offered by local high schools and who are obliged to live away from home, may receive an allowance of $2725 per annum.
Where students are pursuing a course containing subjects at both Year 12 and 13 levels, a secondary boarding allowance will be awarded only if the student is taking at least four subjects at one level – i.e. four nationally-approved NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3 subjects. Note: in recent years the Ministry has only approved applications where students are taking at least two subjects not available at the local school.
Technical Boarding Allowance
These allowances of $2725 per annum are awarded to students in Years 10 and 11 who must live away from home in order to take a course containing an agriculture subject or workshop subject not available at their local school.
For further information on government boarding allowances, please contact the Head of the Secondary School on +64 3 940 2013.
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