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Our Curriculum

Winchester Rural School - September 17, 2023


Reading, Writing and Mathematics and Statistics

are taught as core learning areas and are embedded in all of our programmes.

Our learners experience

Science, Social Sciences, Technology, Health and Physical Education (P.E.) and The Arts (Visual, Music, Dance, Drama)

through our Learner Driven Project inquiry inspired integrated topics.

Learner Driven Curriculum

With an inquiry approach to teaching, our children’s projects begin with provocations (a topic or object or theme to start discussions) and from there all learning areas merge together to stimulate children’s inquisitiveness and open their minds to the world around them. After listening to the children’s ideas, teachers then support them through their explorations and question them to think deeply about the topic chosen.

Digital Technology

We are connected to N4L (Network for Learning), a government funded managed network of safe, predictable, ultra-fast internet connectivity with uncapped data. This has enabled all classroom digital devices to connect through wireless. Our Year 4 to 6 children are given the opportunity to bring their own Chromebooks into school and use google classrooms as one of their learning forums. By using digital technologies, children have access to a wider range of quality teaching and learning resources that enhance their learning and engagement. We encourage our children to use these tools to explore and research and develop their learning skills in many different ways. Each class has at least a ratio of 1 device to 2 children. Classrooms have a large TV connected to laptops. We have a set of digital cameras, robotics equipment and apps for coding are used in classes.

Community of Learning/Kahui Ako:

We work in partnership with a number of local early education providers, primary schools and Geraldine High School to form Ka Awa Whiria Kahui Ako – Community of learning. We work collaboratively together on shared goals to give our children the best opportunities for learning and transition across the sectors. We also work alongside Temuka Primary Schools and have a sports partnership for joint interschool events such as swimming, cross country, athletics and winter sports.

School-wide Initiatives

2023 

Structured Literacy

We are working to…

…improve outcomes in reading for all children, by using explicit teaching of phonological foundations and target those who have additional needs that need addressing. We also monitor our priority Maori learners.

In partnership with our Kahui Ako develop teacher understanding of Structured Literacy strategies to build competency and confidence in writing.

PE Sports and Health

We are working to…

. . . support our children to make positive and informed choices about food and nutrition and physical activity. We are doing this in partnership with South Canterbury Sport as part of the Healthy Active Learning initiative

Project Inquiry

We are working to…

Supporting our children to find out about what makes them unique, have a sense of belonging and safety in our community.

Celebrating the cultures across our school through the Arts. And finding out about foods and how they connect to our identity and are important to the cultures in our kura. This will culminate in each class selecting, designing and developing a food or craft stall for a Market Day.

Connecting to Our Community

We are working towards…

Connecting our children to their community in a variety of ways:

Our Kapa Haka group participating in the FLAVA Cultural Festival

Entering the EPro8 Technology Challenge

Holding a Community ANZAC Service

Participating in interschool sporting events

Inviting educators from Life Education, Mitre 10 and Fonterra into school