Maree Flannery truly lives a Ponsonby life.

She lives in central Ponsonby, socialises and eats on “the strip” and she teaches at Ponsonby’s hidden gem, Auckland Girls’ Grammar School.

Now her passion is to spread the word to local parents.

“I really believe that a lot of people in this local area – and actually over the wider Auckland area – don’t really realise the potential of Auckland Girls’,” says Flannery, who’s Deputy Principal at the school.

“It’s such a thriving and vibrant community. There’s just something really special about Auckland Girls’ – and the students talk about the ‘sisterhood’. They really do look out for each other and are super proud of each other’s achievements.”

Locals will see AGGS students roll out in their new uniform in 2019 – which comes after a couple of years of hefty evolution for Auckland Girls’ Grammar.

Explains Flannery: “This is my eighth year at Auckland Girls’ and at the start of last year Ngaire Ashmore came in as Principal - and straight away the focus was on raising student achievement.

“Ngaire believed our girls had the ability to be achieving a lot higher than they were and teachers believed that – and the students loved hearing that we believed in them. So when it came to this year and we opened the email with the results for 2017 it was absolutely brilliant. Everyone went ‘wow’ and the students clapped and cheered when we talked about it in assembly. They were just so proud of each other. And it’s just kept getting better as the year has gone on.”

The numbers Flannery speaks of are impressive. AGGS’ level one pass rates went from 78 percent to 90, level two from 84 to 94 percent and level three rocketed from 68 to 80 percent. But the opportunity for achievement isn’t just academic.

Flannery, who’s a former Black Sticks Hockey International, says there are chances for their students right across the board.

“As a former Black Stick I think that there are opportunities in all parts of the school for all young women,” she says. “Whether that’s in sport or the arts or academically and - actually - to be a top athlete it’s not just about the sport it’s the whole holistic picture. I think that’s really crucial so we have support systems in place for our top athletes who are competing at national or regional level”

AGGS is the fifth school Flannery’s worked at – and the third where she has been Deputy Principal. But none previous have compared to her experience at her “local.”

“I just absolutely love the vibrancy of Auckland Girls’. I love that I can drive to school in a couple of minutes and walk and be there in less than 15 minutes. So for me, it’s a little oasis in Ponsonby and I think girls who go there absolutely get the best education … I think one of the best educations in Auckland.”

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