About the school

Mount Albert Grammar School is a state, co-educational secondary school situated in central suburban Auckland.

Our current roll of about 3200 students come mainly from within the school’s zone, with a small number from wider Auckland accepted through the ballot process. Due to increasing demand for places at the school from within our zone, the number of ballot places is diminishing each year. The ratio of boys and girls is almost 50/50.

Since Mount Albert Grammar’s foundation in 1922, the school has established a strong academic tradition. Our NCEA results are consistently strong, and the number of Scholarships attained by our elite academic students placed us among the top six schools in New Zealand.

We are widely considered to also be among the top sporting schools in the country, with a history of winning numerous Auckland and New Zealand Championship titles. We offer a wide range of sports at all levels, from social to premier grades, for both boys and girls. All students are encouraged to take part in at least one sport, not only for the physical benefits but for the social and character-building aspects that sport provides for young people. At MAGS, sport is considered intrinsic in our overall culture of developing well-rounded young men and women who aspire to excellence in everything they do, and seek to serve others in the community. We believe our sporting culture feeds directly into our academic success.

The 2018 Education Review Office (ERO) evaluation praised Mount Albert Grammar School for its high standard of education and support.
Because of this, the ERO has decided that it will not return to MAGS for four or five years. The school was previously reviewed in 2013.
Read the 2018 ERO Report here

Our Arts programmes are also outstanding, and our Dance, Drama and Music students are regularly judged among the top in Auckland and New Zealand. We offer a variety of co-curricular groups in which students can become involved which, like sport, we believe is key to developing well-rounded young people.

In addition to our superb grounds and sports fields, the school has fine historic and modern buildings, an Aquatic Centre, a library, an observatory and specialist areas for Technology, Art, Music, Drama and Dance. In 2016 we opened a new Mathematics block which also incorporates our Student Services Centre, and in 2018 work will begin on a new Science block.

On the grounds of the School is a boys’ boarding facility, School House, which accommodates 105 students. Plans to open a girls’ hostel in nearby Lloyd Avenue have been put on hold.

Adjacent to the school is the ASB Bank MAGS Farm, which provides a base for the study of Agricultural and Horticultural Science. An exciting development of the farm is underway that will include an Experience Centre to showcase careers in the primary sector to students from all over Auckland.

International students are welcome at the school and the current International student body includes fee-paying students from all over the world. Their involvement in the school further enriches the MAGS experience for our New Zealand students.

We offer all students the opportunity to develop their potential to the greatest extent possible. It enables them to recognise the basic importance of values such as as self-discipline, personal effort, honest standards and a sound respect for the opinions, cultural attitudes and rights and welfare of others.

An emphasis is given to academic achievement but, for all students, what is expected and accepted is a performance worthy of their ability. A mentoring programme is being trialled in 2017 among Year 11 students, and may be extended to other year levels as a way of ensuring every student reaches their full potential.

The school is Decile 7, although our students come from the full range of socio-economic households. Students of Mount Albert Grammar School have the advantage of studying with a student body that reflects a true cross-section of the ethnic mix of the city of Auckland, and we are proud of our diversity. All our students share in a tradition of academic achievement, with the students of today continuing to emulate the success of those who came before them.