Our school has developed a reputation for quality teaching and learning within an innovative local curriculum. We have employed teachers with a diverse range of skills – particularly in the areas of Creative Arts and Digital Technologies.

We continue to develop our local contexts for learning. This has included taking “Big Ideas” from the community, the students and the staff and turning them into rich and connected learning experiences. Our curriculum is descriptive rather than prescriptive, and it is student-centred.

 

Literacy and mathematics are part of everyday learning. There is a variety of delivery models used at any time – whole class, small group, individual support, Kaiawhina supported, across syndicate, device based, materials based, workshops for extra learning and interest and extension groups. Targeted students are identified in both these curriculum areas and tracked all year noting the interventions and what was successful.

 

Our school is divided into 6 teams – 4 syndicate teams, 1 specialist teaching team and a Learning Support team. The specialist team work on a simple but deliberate model of teaching – skills and safe practices in year 7 and then student-directed learning in year 8 to build independence and confidence. Getting yourself unstuck is a key focus at our school.

 

Our school is a community-based school. Being an intermediate in a relatively small, close-knit community all primary schools feed into us and we in turn feed into the college.