Cultural Achievements

At Westlake Boys our arts’ students are high achievers. Westlake is a lively, thriving cultural school with the visual arts, sculpture, music, design, photography, drama, debating being the third cog of a Holistic education – equal to, and alongside Academia and Sport.

Our musicians have a reputation for excellence. The combined music groups from Westlake Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools are consistent winners of the Gold Awards in all 4 categories of the KBB Music Festival, Symphony Orchestras, Concert Bands, Big Bands and Chamber Orchestras. In addition, in 2009, The Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra each won the Premier Awards for the ‘Most Outstanding Performance’ in their categories. Our male choir Voicemale , and Virtutti, the Barbershop boys, are extremely popular wherever they sing. Both Voicemale and Choralation (our combined choir with WGHS) were placed in the top 20 choirs in New Zealand, and ‘Choralation’ went on to win the Top Platinum Award at the National Finals.

In the search for musical excellence (and fun), the musicians commit to regular tours, camps and festivals. In 2008, 115 music students toured to the 19th Australian International Music Festival in Sydney where they won 2 Golds and the ‘Premier Performance of the Festival’. In 2009, the Choirs travelled to Dunedin, and in 2010, the bands will be touring New Plymouth schools, and Choralation will finish the year with a tour to England!

Our drama department regularly delights the community with shows and musicals. The most recent being ‘the School of Rock’ in 2009. The Westlake KapaHaka groups and debating teams are re-known and have considerable kudos in the school. Culture is celebrated with musical items regularly in our assemblies and a huge ‘Cultural Week’ in Term II, where our diverse range of ethnic cultures work together to display their art, food, dance and history. At Westlake Boys, cultural ability and difference is accepted and respected.