The modern working world has changed massively in recent years and if the experts are to be believed the next five years promise changes that are difficult to predict.

The speed of this change is mainly driven by the fact that we are far more interconnected than ever before, able to connect remotely with people from different cultures all around the world as though they were in the office next door and also the rise of the machine. Machines and digital devices are now automating much of what used to be done by people, freeing us up for more creative activities. At Stanley Bay, we are reforming the curriculum in ways that we hope will prepare our students for this changing future. 

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is regarded by many current employers as one of the most important skills for the future workforce. The ability to understand and express our emotions as well as understand those of the people around us is becoming more and more important. Through our graduate profile and school values, we directly teach our students what are often thought of as the softer skills and our planned involvement with the Ministry funded PB4L program next year we hope to extend this even further.

Creativity

Creativity boosts innovation which in turn leads to economic growth. Creativity is one of the 4 aspects of the Stanley Bay graduate profile and is an important part of everything we teach. Our inquiry-based, integrated curriculum encourages the students to build new knowledge and use it in a creative way.

Flexibility and adaptability

Predictions suggest that most of the current generation will have at the least 5 different careers, not jobs but different careers. This is going to require the ability to learn and unlearn as well as require a level of resilience. Resilience is one of the Stanley Bay values and is a trait that is taught and encouraged in all areas of learning. The inquiry-based, integrated curriculum places the emphasis of the discovery of new knowledge not knowing a list of predefined facts. This change of focus from more traditional education systems means our students become natural learners and 'unlearners'.

Tech Savviness

2020 sees the official introduction of New Zealand’s digital curriculum. Often misinterpreted as students sat in front of screen’s the digital curriculum essentially has two components: Computational thinking which is basically learning how to use a logical approach to solve problems and Digital Technologies which aims to make our students creators of digital technology, not just consumers.

If you have any questions about how inquiry-based learning is changing the teaching and learning in your child’s class talk to your class teacher and look out for our parent information evenings next year for more information on how we teach and assess at Stanley Bay.