Cotswold School celebrates New Zealand's growing cultural diversity and ensures that all students feel culturally safe and valued.

Our cultural diversity is a valuable resource for 21st-century learning. 

We celebrate and value a variety of cultures by recognising cultural difference. 

For example: 

• Integrating cultural perspectives through curriculum areas across all levels
  
• Convening parent support groups and meetings 
  
• Accessing cultural advisors, cultural dance/food festivals 
  
• Conducting classroom programmes incorporating different greetings. 
  

Our school hosts international students and our international programme is designed to increase and enhance our students’ awareness and understanding of other cultures and countries. 

We respect the unique position of Māori as tangata whenua (the indigenous people) of New Zealand and te reo Māori (Māori language) as an official New Zealand language, in accordance with our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. In recognising the unique position of the Māori culture, we provide instruction in tikanga Māori (Māori culture) and te reo Māori for students. 

We currently foster Māori culture through: 

• Teaching te reo Māori to an elementary level (greetings, counting, mihi, basic vocabulary for everyday items, pronunciation and translation of place names) 
  
• Singing waiata (Māori songs) in assembly, and classroom music time 
  
• Using resources in the curriculum (especially reading, maths, science, social studies, art, music, and PE) which recognise New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage 
  
• Integrating Māori through all curriculum areas where appropriate 
  
• Visits to marae and cultural centres, and fostering relationships with local iwi 
  
• Kapahaka, powhiri (welcome) for newcomers, signage around the school, whanau groups, etc. 
  

If a whānau requests a higher level of tikanga and/or te reo, staff and family will discuss and explore the following options: 

Further explanation of existing programmes 

• Extension of the existing programmes if and as appropriate 
  
• Combining with a neighbouring school for parts of the day/programme 
  
• Providing in-school support and resources to further enhance inclusion of te reo and tikanga Māori within the child’s classroom 
  
• Exploring other schools which may offer programmes closer to their expectations 
  
• Using community expertise (people and places) to help with any of the above. 
  

We also respect the place of the Pasifika people and culture in New Zealand and foster it through integrating Pasifika into curriculum areas, where appropriate. 

We have considered the Pasifika Education Plan (PEP) 2013-2017 and its relative significance for our school. We support its vision to see "Five out of five Pasifika learners participating, engaging, and achieving in education, secure in their identities, languages and cultures and contributing to Aotearoa New Zealand’s social, cultural and economic well-being".