Read the latest news from Rutherford College

Kia ora te whanau ō te Kōtuku

I would like to take the opportunity to welcome to you to Rutherford College and I look forward to a wonderful 2026. It was an absolute pleasure to see so many of our whanau in attendance at our new to Rutherford College powhiri today. The following is a summary of some of the things outlined by me at this gathering for those who would like an idea of what I shared with our fledgling kotukus on day one.  

Rutherford Tikanga/Values and Expectations

We all come from different backgrounds. Our four school values are what unite us in a way of being. Our values which form the basis of our tikanga are what we hold the line on with behaviour and expectations. In simple terms if you work hard and be kind you will be on the right track.

One of the most important parts of working hard is turning up and being in the right place at the right time with the right stuff, to prepare you for success. Any of wrong time, wrong place, wrong stuff prepares you for chaos. Chaos is not a foundation that creates success. To strive for personal excellence requires structure, routines and good habits. Chaos doesn’t work.

At Rutherford, Tohea  - we strive for personal excellence. This means we always look for how we can improve and to build on what we have already done. We start from where our feet are now and take a positive step in the right direction from where we are at this present moment. 

At Rutherford you will learn or have reinforced that “We are what we repeatedly do; Excellence is not an act, but a series of habits and positive behaviours repeated often”. 

We are all individuals.  So never compare yourself to the best that others can be only to the best that you can be. If you are making progress then you are winning.

School Uniform

Wearing the correct uniform and wearing it well says a lot about a school and its students. How do you know you are wearing the correct uniform? Official school uniform can only be bought at The Uniform Shoppe on Rosebank Road. Our uniform information is available here. Key points to remember:

• Sandals can be worn (black or dark brown), but closed toe shoes must be worn in Technology areas and during Science practicals for health and safety reasons. No socks are to be worn with sandals please.
• Sports uniform such as a hoodie is not school uniform.
• Shoes must be plain black leather (faux-leather), lace up or slip on but no boots or suede are permitted.
• Hair should be a natural colour and no extremes of fashion
• Young men - facial hair should be neat, tidy and short

Phones Away for the Day

The law states that phones must not be visible or used by students during the school day and this includes interval and lunchtime. At Rutherford we will be following the following procedures:

Week 1: If teachers see a phone out in class, students will be reminded of the rule about phones being turned off and away in bags.
Week 2: If a teacher sees a phone out in class, the phone will be confiscated for the rest of the period. Students can collect it at the end of the period. This will recorded in our Student Management System as digital misuse. If the Deans or Senior Leaders see a phone visible during interval/lunchtime or between classes the phone will be confiscated immediately and the student can collect it at the end of the day. Repeated offences  will be considered defiance and recorded as such with the Deans or Senior Leaders contacting whanau to discuss the issue.

We ask that parents support us by talking to your son or daughter and reminding them that phones away for the day is the law and was introduced to free students from distractions of notifications and social media interruptions, allowing them to engage more deeply with lesson content. Please refer to our Phones Away for the Day page for further information.

Attendance

Every Minute Counts. Did you know that being 10 minutes late every day equates to a week off school a year. Arriving late for school can have a negative impact on the learning of our rangatahi as they can miss out on important instruction and this can also disrupt the teaching and learning of their class. Students can also feel whakama about walking into the class late and this can lead to increased truancy. Arriving on time helps prepare rangatahi for the punctuality expectations of life in the workforce. The link to attendance and achievement is clear.

We do understand that traffic in Auckland can be difficult but urge all caregivers to plan for this if they are dropping students to school. 

Reporting an absence. 

Please log on to the school portal and click on absences to report an absence. You can also use this option if your son or daughter needs to leave early for an appointment, choose exeat plass option for this.
Logging into the Portal: Use your email address as your username and your own password for Google, Facebook or other account that you might have. If you have problems, please contact the school on [email protected].nz

Pastoral Information

House Deans
Rūaumoko Deans are Rosie Simpson and Pete Jefferies
Tāne Mahuta Deans are Hannah Winter and Josh Tagaloa
Tama-nui-te-rā Deans are Drew Dunn and Anjay Lakhan

This is the list of tutor classes that each Dean will be responsible for. 

Student and Staff ID Photos

Monday 16 February students will getting ID Photographs taken. Students should be in full school uniform. 

Whanau Fair - 17 February - Save the Date - 5pm

The Whanau Fair is a great way to bring the community together in a fun and welcoming way. It is an opportunity for every year level to collaborate and interact with each other helping to foster the student experience at our school. With this event being mostly organised by students along with the support of staff, we also aim for everyone to feel welcomed and have a sense of belonging to the school. Our new students and their whanau will be able to meet their teachers at the start of the evening before moving on to the fair to experience good food and entertainment. 5pm start - Venue will be in the Top Carpark  and outside B Block if the weather permits. 

Swimming Sports - 18 February

This event is not compulsory but we encourage students who are confident swimmers to participate.

The atmosphere is relaxed and supportive, giving students the chance to have fun and represent their school in the pool.

School Athletics – Friday 20th February

Location: School fields 

This is a whole-school event where students compete to earn house points.

Participation is compulsory for Year 9 and Year 10 students, with a minimum requirement of three events (track or field). Students are welcome to participate in additional events to compete for the title of Athletics Champion.

Theme: Super heroes and cartoon characters! Students are encouraged to dress in their house colours and incorporate the theme. Those who prefer not to dress up must wear their PE uniform.

All other details will be communicated through tutor teachers and discussed during tutor time.

Notice of Asbestos Removal Work

Greenway, a licensed Asbestos Removalist (WorkSafe Class A Licence: number RA16110221) will be undertaking removal work of some Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) from Rutherford College, Admin Offices (disestablished). This area is self contained and the School Hall will not be affected by this work. Entry to the hall is through the side doors and no access is permitted through the foyer during the remedial work.

This removal work will be conducted between the hours of 7:00 AM to 17:00 PM on 2/02/2026 and is expected to finish on 13/02/2026.

WorkSafe NZ was notified on 16 January 2026 that this licensed asbestos removal work is to be undertaken.

Rutherford College management and the School Board have been consulted about the nature and timing of this work, together with the safety measures to be used.

The following safety measures will be put in place and maintained for the duration of this project:

• Signs, barriers and temporary fencing will be installed.
• The removal site is within a vacant building, isolated from other buildings, and made inaccessible by unauthorised persons.
• Asbestos containing material will be wrapped on site and disposed of at an approved site after school operational hours.
• Air monitoring at the work site boundary will be in place for the duration of the work. 
• An independent third party will carry out an inspection of the site on completion of the work and issue a clearance certificate.

The Ministry of Education website has further information about the management of asbestos and procedures to ensure the safety of all involved in or affected by the work, at the school and community. This can be found on: www.education.govt.nz/school/property-and-transport/health-and-safety-management/asbestos.

Additional information about asbestos removal and/or Asbestos Removal Licences can be found on WorkSafe NZ’s website on www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/asbestos or by phoning 0800 030 040 (24 hours).

If you have any questions or concerns about this removal work, please feel to contact the Project Manager; Tymen Tolsma, of Maynard Marks.

Upcoming Events

02 Feb - Year 9 Report to Tutor Classes at 9am. Year 10 Report the the Hall. Entrance is via the back of the old Admin Building next door to the staffroom.
03 Feb - 8.50am Year Y11 report to the Hall, Y12 Report to the Gym and Year 13 Report to the Sports Hall
11 Feb - Rutherford will be running a Lockdown Exercise involving the whole school. More information will be sent about this next week.
16 Feb - ID Photos
17 Feb - Whanau Fair and New to Rutherford Evening
18 Feb - Swimming Sports
20 Feb - Athletics Day
02 Mar - Scholars' Assembly (Y12/13 only)

Ngā mihi

Gary Moore