Mount Roskill Grammar School

Mount Roskill Grammar School is a secondary school in the suburb of Mount Roskill, Auckland. Officially opened in 1953, the school is widely regarded as one of the most diverse schools in Auckland, having students of over 70 different nationalities including approximately 120 International students. The school has been noted by media for its rising academic success and exceptional performance for its low socio-economic decile. History The school opened in 1953, on a plot of land the Auckland Education Board purchased from the Auckland Rugby Union. It was one of the first new secondary schools in central Auckland in eight years, and was opened when Mount Roskill was a semi-rural but rapidly developing suburb. The school began with a roll of 363, but by 1964 the school had expanded to over 1,300 students, making it the largest in the country. When the school was first established, the grounds were rocky and uneven. In 1956, school students helped dig the school pool by hand. In 1957 the school was granted its own board of governors and adopted the emblem of the Phoenix with the motto 'Sursum' meaning 'To the Heights'. The Phoenix was chosen for its symbolism of the pursuit of excellence and periodic renewal and revitalization.