Rutherford College is a New Zealand Qualifications Authority accredited co-educational Year 9-13 State Secondary school. It caters for students from year 9 to year 13, as well as providing adult education, special education and night courses. It offers well-qualified, professional staff are very successful in challenging students to achieve academic success in national assessments. The school teaches core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science, and helps senior students pass NCEA. As well as core subjects, specialist subjects such as ChineseMandarin, Japanese, Māori and German are taught as a second language, as well as aviation, environmental science and biochemistry, arts, physical education, technology, accounting and economics. The Gateway programme is also offered to students. This course helps students prepare to join the workforce once leaving school instead of moving on to Tertiary education. In this course students learn to make a CV and explore different options for once they finish school.
The Rutherford College Information Commons is an integrated learning environment where all students and staff have access to traditional and electronic information resources, electronic learning materials and productivity software, allowing them to integrate more information into course work. The main purpose is to provide access to electronic learning and information resources as well as traditional sources of information. Students are able to retrieve information from the library database, access coursework through Learning Resources, send email and browse the Internet, use Microsoft Office and other specialist programs, including a number of Open Source applications - all on the same computer. The development of computer and information literacy skills will be a key focus area of the Information Commons and opportunities for training will be integrated into all aspects of service. The Information Commons was officially opened in 2006 and students were allowed full use of the facility from the first term of 2007. Since then, it has become the most popular building on campus among staff and students alike. It is a student-centred facility that provides a variety of study spaces, 40 computers, easy access to information resources and technologies together with multi-skilled staff that support different learning and research needs in one physical location.
Tradition
The College encourages student participation in a wide range of extracurricular activities, again challenging students to reach their full potential in all areas.
The school celebrates annually, Rutherford Day, to commemorate the achievements of Lord Rutherford.
