What’s in a name? - Although a slightly peculiar word to describe a school, being a Normal School is something we are extremely proud of.

What is a Normal School?

Normal Schools have been in existence since the 16th Century when a group of schools in France became interested in preparing people for teaching. The French concept of “école normale” was to establish schools to model best teaching practices thereby setting a standard or norm for student teachers.

Setting this standard has been the function of Normal schools worldwide. Normal Schools were established in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Many famous universities, such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) were originally founded as normal schools.

The 22 Normal schools in New Zealand appointed by the Government provide a major teaching practicum facility for five universities nationwide.

Rāroa Normal Intermediate has a very positive, collaborative relationship with Wellington Victoria University and other ITE (Initial teacher education) providers. We host many students throughout the year. We are proud to be a ‘Normal’ school and are hugely committed to Initial teacher education