Rangi Ruru Girls' School
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox school
| name = Rangi Ruru Girls' School
| seal_image =
| motto = {{langx|mi|Whaia to te rangi}}
| type = Independent Single sex girls Intermediate and Secondary (Year 7–13) school with boarding facilities (Boarding from Year 7)
| image = Te Koraha 05.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Te Koraha, the administration building of Rangi Ruru
| established = 1889
| motto_translation = Seek the heavenly things
| address = 59 Hewitts Road,
Merivale, Christchurch,
| coordinates = {{coord|-43.5192|172.6175|type:edu_region:NZ-CAN|display=inline,title}}
| chairperson = Nicki Carter
| principal = Tracy Herft
| roll = {{NZ school roll data|325|y||y}} ({{NZ school roll data|||y}})
| decile = 10
| MOE = 325
| homepage = [http://www.rangiruru.school.nz/ RangiRuru.school.nz] (requires plugin)
}}
Rangi Ruru Girls' School is a New Zealand private girls' day and boarding secondary school located in Merivale, an inner suburb of Christchurch. The school is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and serves approximately {{NZ school roll data|325|y}} girls from Years 7 to 13 (ages 10 to 18).
History
File:St Andrew's Church, Christchurch 02.JPG
The school was founded in 1889 when Frederick Gibson bought a school run in Papanui by friends of his, Ada, Kate and Jessie Gresham, who were moving to Australia.{{Cite web|title = St Andrew's Presbyterian Church – St Andrew's Church History|url = http://standrewsrangiruru.org.nz/index.php/events/29-st-andrew-s-church-history|website = standrewsrangiruru.org.nz|access-date = 11 February 2016}} The school had 18 students, aged 5 to 16 years old.{{Cite web|title = Alabaster Chronicle No 18, Spring 2002|url = http://www.alabaster.org.uk/chron18.htm#gibsons|website = www.alabaster.org.uk|access-date = 11 February 2016}} Initially Gibson's daughters Alice and Helen and their mother Mary ran the school, calling it "Miss Gibson's Private School for Girls". In 1891, the school moved to a building in Webb Street and was renamed Rangi Ruru, meaning "wide sky-shelter". This name had been suggested by a Māori chief of Rapaki Pa, Pāora Taki, a friend of Frederick Gibson.{{Cite web|title = Gibson, Helena Fannie and Gibson, Mary Victoria|url = http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2g7/gibson-helena-fannie|website = www.teara.govt.nz|access-date = 13 November 2015|language = en|first = New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|last = Taonga}} Helen Gibson continued as Principal and her sisters Alice, Ethel, Ruth and Winifred joined as teachers. Under Helen Gibson's leadership the school roll grew, reaching over 200 students at the time of her death in 1938. From 1938 until the sale of the school in 1946, Ethel Gibson was principal; her sisters continued to assist and support her.
The school moved to its present site in 1923, as the Webb Street building was becoming too small. Te Koraha, the original house on the site, had been the home of the Rhodes family; it was made available to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York for their June 1901 royal visit to Christchurch.{{cite news |title=The Christchurch Residence |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19010427.2.33.34 |access-date=6 February 2019 |work=The Press |volume=LVIII |issue=10950 |date=27 April 1901 |page=8}}{{NZHPT|3130|Te Koraha|6 February 2019}}
The Rangi Ruru Board of Governors was established in 1946 when Presbyterian Church members purchased the school from the Gibson family. While the Christchurch Presbytery approves appointments, the board is autonomous.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}
In the early 1980s, the school wanted an on-site chapel, while simultaneously the congregation of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church at Hospital Corner was declining. It was decided to relocate the church to the school site, and in 1986, the building was moved to land adjacent to the school on Merivale Lane.{{NZHPT|304|St Andrew's Church (Presbyterian)|5 July 2018}} The church became known as "St Andrew's at Rangi Ruru".
Enrolment
As a private school, Rangi Ruru charges tuition fees to cover costs. For the 2025 school year, tuition fees for New Zealand residents are $27,150 per year for students in years 7 and 8 and $30,300 per year for students in years 9 and above. Boarding fees are $19,200 per year.{{Cite web |title=Fee Options for Girls Schools in Christchurch |url=https://rangiruru.school.nz/enrolment/school-fees/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Rangi Ruru |language=en}}
As of {{NZ school roll data|3=y}}, Rangi Ruru has roll of {{NZ school roll data|325|y}} students, of which {{NZ school roll data|325m|y}} ({{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ school roll data|325m|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ school roll data|325|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%) identify as Māori.{{NZ school roll data|4=y}} As a private school, the school is not assigned an Equity Index.
Academic achievement
Rangi Ruru is consistently one of New Zealand's highest-achieving schools in academic achievement.{{cite web| url = http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4458850a6530.html| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130223105306/http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4458850a6530.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 23 February 2013| title = High Pass Marks in City Schools| access-date = 2 April 2008| work = The Press}}
In 2013, all girls who left Rangi Ruru held at least NCEA Level 1, while 98.2% held at least NCEA Level 2, and 92.0% held at least University Entrance. This was in contrast to the national percentages of 86.8%, 77.2%, and 55.4%, respectively, for girls.{{cite news |title= School Qualifications – Rangi Ruru Girls' School |url= https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/qualifications?school=325 |publisher=Ministry of Education |access-date= 17 February 2014}}
Notable alumnae
{{main category|People educated at Rangi Ruru Girls' School}}
- Sophie Devine (born 1989), cricket and hockey player
- Elizabeth Edgar (born 1929), botanist{{cite journal|ref={{harvid|New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter|2000}}|author=|title=Tribute to Dr Elizabeth Edgar, leading plant taxonomist and flora-writer|journal=New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter|date=June 2000|issue=60|pages=29–30|url=http://www.nzbotanicalsociety.org.nz/newsletter/NZBotSoc-2000-60.pdf|access-date=22 September 2017|publisher=New Zealand Botanical Society|location=Christchurch, New Zealand|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406031503/http://www.nzbotanicalsociety.org.nz/newsletter/NZBotSoc-2000-60.pdf|archive-date=6 April 2017|issn=2230-3502}}
- Sophia Fenwick (born 1992), netball player{{cite news |last=Egan |first=Brendon |title=Consistency key as Fenwick seeks improvement |work=The Press |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/netball/8870671/Consistency-key-as-Fenwick-seeks-improvement |date=3 July 2013 |access-date=7 October 2013}}
- Kenneth Gresson (1891–1974), soldier, lawyer, university lecturer and judge (attended before Rangi Ruru became a girls' school){{DNZB|Finn|Jeremy|5g21|Kenneth Macfarlane Gresson|23 September 2017}}
- Polly 'PJ' Harding (born 1990), radio host
- Eve MacFarlane (born 1992), rower{{cite news |last=Tutty |first=Kevin |title=Olympic rower Macfarlane made right choice |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/6517120/Olympic-rower-Macfarlane-made-right-choice |access-date=7 October 2013 |work=Stuff |date=3 March 2012}}
- Margaret Munro (1914–2005), architect
- Elizabeth Manu (born 1986), netball player
- Annabel Ritchie (born 1978), lawyer and rower{{cite web |title=129th Annual General Meeting Agenda |url=https://www.rowingnz.kiwi/Attachment?Action=Download&Attachment_id=310 |publisher=Rowing New Zealand |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160915173351/https://www.rowingnz.kiwi/Attachment?Action=Download&Attachment_id=310 |archive-date=15 September 2016 |url-status=dead}}
- Francie Turner (born 1992), rowing cox{{cite news |title=Southbridge cox steers for Rio |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/82496053/Southbridge-rower-Francie-Turner-off-to-Rio-Olympic-Games |access-date=27 July 2016 |work=The Press |date=27 July 2016 |page=B16}}
Notable staff
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Rangi Ruru}}
- [https://www.flickr.com/photos/christchurchcitylibraries/2740524067/ 1968 photo of St Andrew's Church], i.e. prior to its relocation
{{Schools in Canterbury}}
{{Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia schools|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Educational institutions established in 1889
Category:Girls' schools in New Zealand
Category:Intermediate schools in New Zealand
Category:Secondary schools in Christchurch
Category:Boarding schools in New Zealand