Please see attachment below for the complete 2025 to 2028 Strategic Plan

Our Mission Statement
To empower inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who are active, compassionate, lifelong learners in local and global contexts.

Our Whakatauki

Whai māna ki te ako me te whakatutuki

Empowered to learn and achieve.

How we give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Regulation 9(1)(g)
We value te reo Māori as taonga and acknowledge Te Tiriti o Waitangi as New Zealand's founding document. We recognise the principles of partnership and the importance of empowering and valuing Māori as tangata whenua. We follow the principles of Ka Hikitia, which means to step up, to lift, to lengthen one's stride—to empower. We embrace understanding our world from a te ao Māori perspective.

When developing policies and practices, we reflect New Zealand's bi-cultural nature and cultural diversity. The school provides Tikanga Māori (culture) instruction and te reo Māori (language). All students learn te reo Māori, and an increasing number of students learn in te reo Māori at level 4b (3 plus hours a week).

We first understand Te Ao Māori (Māori world). We achieve this through our shared kāwa (what we do) and tikanga (how we do it). We have a strong kapa haka group and provide regular opportunities to celebrate Te Ao Māori, such as termly mihi whakatau and Matariki breakfast.

NELP Objective 1: Learners at the Centre

At Milford School, we pride ourselves on consistently delivering high-quality teaching and learning. Our learning programs:

Focus on foundation skills in language, literacy, and mathematics, supporting all students to achieve personal excellence, regardless of individual circumstances.
Promote a growth mindset, evoke curiosity, and promote creativity and critical thinking.
Utilise a transdisciplinary approach, allowing students to explore the curriculum in localised, relevant, and authentic contexts.

We place learners at the heart of everything we do. Our Learner Profile and PYP framework empower students to become reflective learners with the essential skills for lifelong success. We guide them to reflect on their learning, set challenging goals, and actively participate in giving and receiving feedback. This approach fosters learners who are confident, critical and creative thinkers, capable of leading their learning journey.

We are proud of our long history of high academic achievement. While we aim for personal excellence, we understand that success encompasses more than academic progress. We expect all our students to embody the IB Learner Profile and value various outcomes, including social skills, well-being, culture, and identity.

We partner with whānau to support every learner in realising their aspirations. At Milford School, we expect whānau to be actively involved in their child’s learning and believe that by working together, we will achieve the best possible outcomes for all students. These learning-focused partnerships go beyond a simple relationship between school leadership, teachers, and parents to one of shared accountability. Strong home-school partnerships support the school in teaching students the skills, knowledge, attributes, and values to improve their learning and increase their motivation and achievement.

NELPS Objective 2: Barrier-Free Access

Milford School provides a safe, inclusive environment and culture where every student feels valued and supported. We reduce barriers to education, ensuring equitable opportunities for all. We actively address racism, discrimination, and bullying, fostering a culture of celebrating diversity. We meaningfully incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into everyday school life.

Our commitment:

Barrier-free access: We work to eliminate obstacles to education for all learners, actively reducing social barriers.

Māori success as Māori: We collaborate with our Māori whānau to champion their success, embedding maturanga Māori, Te Reo Māori and tikanga Māori in our school.
Inclusive excellence: We support all learners, including those with differences, learning support needs, giftedness, and neurodiversity, ensuring they are included and thriving.
Strong foundations: We build essential language, literacy, and mathematics skills and provide targeted support when needed.
Community connections: To enhance learning opportunities, we collaborate with whānau, our Kāhui Ako and PYP schools nationally and internationally.

We recognise New Zealand’s bicultural heritage and value the unique position of Māori in New Zealand society. With the support of the Maori Achievement Collaborative, we engage in a continuous cycle of improvement, investigating, recognising, and overcoming barriers impeding educational outcomes for Maori in partnership with students, whanau, hapu, and iwi.

Milford School recognises the Kawenata Tapu (Sacred Covenant) between the governance of Ngāti Paoa and the Pupuke Kahui Ako. We understand that Ngāto Paoa is connected and interested in our students and will partner with us to contribute to their educational success.

Active involvement in the Kahui Ako enhances our connections with the local community. We share the purpose of raising the achievement and outcomes of all students. In particular, we value our strong relationship with Takapuna Normal Intermediate School and embody this through the shared kaupapa between the two schools.

NELP Objective 3: Quality teaching and leadership

Milford School is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) school that fosters a love of learning through a transdisciplinary approach. Highly effective teachers deliver exceptional classroom programmes with a strong foundation in reading, writing, and mathematics. In addition, the school offers a range of specialist teaching programmes, including music, STEM, and physical education, an outdoor education programme, and extensive extracurricular activities. As a Green-Gold Enviroschool, Milford School actively promotes sustainability, weaving environmental education and action into all aspects of school life.

Milford School is committed to providing exceptional teaching and learning, with teachers dedicated to continuous improvement and innovative practices that foster a love of learning. We prioritise strong relationships with students to personalise learning, ensuring every child is challenged and supported. We prioritise ongoing professional development for all staff, focusing on strengthening teaching, leadership, and learning support. This includes authentically incorporating te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into our school's values, practices, and daily life. We encourage confident, competent, and culturally responsive teaching that supports our diverse learners.

PYP Learner Profile Attributes

The New Zealand Curriculum is taught through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework at Milford School. The NZC vision, principles, values, key competencies, and learning areas are expressed in our curriculum in ways that build on the strengths and meet the aspirations of our learners and parents. It relies on us knowing our students’ strengths, identities, needs, and aspirations so that teaching and learning is relevant, meaningful and engaging.

We cultivate the attributes of the IB Learner Profile through learning that encompasses risk-taking, collaboration, and a commitment to action. Students are empowered to be internationally minded, embrace challenges, and strive for personal excellence. These attributes are embedded in every aspect of school life, from classroom learning to extracurricular activities, ensuring students develop the skills and dispositions they need to thrive. We strive to be:

Mōhio (Knowledgeable)
Kai-uiui (Inquirer)
Kai-whai whakaaro (Thinker)
Kai-whakawhiti kōrero (Communicator)
Ū mātāpono (Principled)
Mākohakoha (Open-minded)
Manaaki (Caring)
Mauritau (Balanced)
Waewae kai kapua (Risk-taker)
Whakaaroaro (Reflective)

Mana-Enhancing Relationships

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) develops mana-enhancing relationships, optimising the learning culture and creating a safe and inclusive environment where positive behaviour and learning are a way of life.

The Learner Profile attributes we focus on to build mana-enhancing relationships are:

MANAAKI Ū - Caring

MĀTĀPONO - Principled

KAI-WHAKAWHITI KŌRERO - Communicator

In this issue

Milford's Got Talent