Avondale College
Avondale College is a public secondary school that welcomes students of both sexes and is situated in the Avondale neighbourhood of downtown Auckland, New Zealand. It is the third biggest secondary school in New Zealand, with a roll of 2663 students from Years 9–13 (ages 12–18), and it caters to pupils in those years.
Lyndy Watkinson serves as the principal of Avondale College and is in charge of the school's 180 instructors. Watkinson took over as principal in 2020, following the retirement of Brent Lewis. Lewis had taken over as principal in 2001, following the passing of Phil Raffills, succeeding Warren Peat, who had been serving as acting principal and former deputy principal. Warren Peat went on to become principal of Saint Kentigern College. After a large portion of the campus was razed to the ground in a fire in 1990, Raffills supervised the reconstruction of the school buildings. Since 2004, students at Avondale College have been required to wear a uniform that is black and white with the school crest printed on it. This uniform has evolved from an earlier black, white, and grey one that was worn by students before to 2004.
A school in Japan that is similar to Avondale and serves as a preparatory institution for Daito Bunka University in Tokyo is known as Daito Bunka.
The school now uses both the NCEA and the CIE for its evaluations and exams. The CIE was approved for use in 2009.
The school grounds of Avondale College include a science and IT building in addition to a gymnasium, a mathematics and science block, sport fields, an astroturf complex, a theatre, an orchestra pit, and flexible seating that can accommodate up to 700 people.
There is a school orchestra, a big band, jazz combos, a choir, a chamber orchestra, a soul band, a rock club, a string quartet, and the Performing Arts Academy in Classical and Jazz Music at Avondale College. In addition, there are various chamber groups and bands.
The Premier Concert Band was recognised as one of the most important musical ensembles at the institution. They went to Sydney, Australia, in June 2006 to take part in the International Music Festival, where they were honoured with a Silver Award. The band has also achieved recognition in the categories of Bronze, Silver, and Gold in a variety of other contests, including the KBB Music Festival and the National Concert Band Competition. Spiccato, a string ensemble from the college, was one of the other groups to compete in that year's competition at the Sydney International Music Festival. In addition, this octet was given a Silver Award, and they were just one point from from obtaining a Gold Award.