Students in our school come from all areas of Christchurch.
We are a co-educational school from kindergarten to year 13. We are not a zoned school.
Students have fun, enjoy each other and work hard to achieve a sense of community, well being and success.
In the primary school you will have the same teacher for a number of years (sometimes up to seven years) while in the High school, every subject and specialty has a teacher who is an expert in their field.
We strive to have a bully free school and place emphasis on peer support, restorative conflict resolution (no blame bullying resolution), peer mediation and offer individual counselling and whole class interpersonal developments.
There is an average of 30 students per class in the primary school and 25 in the high school and we operate with one class per age group.
This means the school is a family-sized, small school (370 pupils) where individuals needs and achievements are met and recognised.
Positive relationships create well being. Students speak to the teachers on a first name basis and develop deep relationships and mutual respect over time.
We believe in order, a rhythmic balance of concentration and activity, in clear thinking and creativity that arises from a culture of structured whole person learning.
We also believe that learning and childhood should be fun and related to living and playing.
The school has clearly defined starting times, timetable, curriculum, assessments and reporting.
Students in the high school are offered NCEA levels 2 and 3 and can achieve as highly as their aspirations and work habits allow them.
We ensure Literacy and Numeracy are gained at level 1 as prerequisites to level 2 options. We have found that NCEA level 1 was too prescriptive and directive in the many subjects we offer.
Music
The school's music programme is incredibly strong. Singing and musicality fills the day from kindergarten on-wards. Every student from class 3 learns a string instrument (violin or cello) and plays in the class or school orchestra. Instrumental diversity develops in the middle school with itinerant music tutors offering lessons in strings, piano, woodwind, guitar, brass and percussion - leading to high school bands, quartets, composition, performance and NCEA qualifications.
Sports Programme
SUCCESS IN SPORTS
Every student from class 4 (Year 5) through to Class 10 (Year 11) is involved in our inter-school sports programme, be it in swimming, cross country or a team sport. Despite our limited pool of students in each year to form a team (compared to larger schools with hundreds of students in each year), our sports teams regularly achieve incredible results – in recent years making it to the Canterbury finals in sports such as netball, indoor soccer and basketball.
Our success in sports can be attributed to the motivation and dedication of our students and coaches and their ability to work cohesively as a team.
Sports which have been offered in recent years are: netball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, hockey, football, swimming, surfing, athletics, cross country, archery, tennis, touch rugby, volleyball, golf, squash, skiing, snowboarding, equestrian and cycling.
Work Experience
Each year every Upper School student in classes 9 through 12 participates in a week’s Work Experience in the community. This gives the student an opportunity to evaluate career possibilities, while enabling them to develop important skills in employability.
Where possible, placements are made on the basis of their development.
For Class 9, students appropriate work experience will be a workshop, a physical labour work-site, a shop;
For Class 10, students appropriate work includes assisting in kindergartens and retirement homes;
For Class 11, the student is placed in industry or business, with a brief to develop understanding of management structure and organisation.
For Class 12, the student is expected to find their own situation, hopefully with a sense for a future career.
Student Futures
STAR and Gateway Guide 2022 Star Courses
The Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) provides the school with additional funding to access courses that provide greater opportunities for students.
The objective of STAR is to enable schools to better meet the needs of students by personalising learning pathways and facilitating a smooth transition to the workplace or further study.
This resource is available to all domestic class 10 to 12 (year 11 to 13) students.
Gateway
Gateway is available to our school, and supports senior secondary students in classes 11 and 12 (Year 12 to Year 13) undertaking structured workplace learning across a range of industries and businesses around New Zealand, while continuing to study at school. For further information please contact the school.
Gateway delivery involves arranging structured workplace learning with the following characteristics:
- a formalised learning arrangement set in the workplace
- clear understandings about the knowledge and skills to be attained by learners
- clear understandings about the assessment method used (workplace learning).
Student Council
The Student Council is a group of student leaders from Class 6 to Class 12 who work together to represent the interests and concerns of their fellow students in school.
Our goal is to create opportunities for student-led initiatives and events within the school, by providing a forum for students to present and communicate their ideas with other students and student leaders.
We plan and run fundraising and sporting events, raise awareness about important issues such a sustainability and support for rainbow youth, and develop leadership skills in students.
The Student Council Chair sits on the Board of Trustees as the Student Member.
Our Student Council for 2023 is:
Class 12: Tama (Student Council Chair) and Nerina
Class 11: Xanthe and Gabriel
Class 10: Lula-Mae and Lochee
Class 9: Hineatea and Maya
Class 8: Otis and Sujan
Class 7: Baxer and Manu
Class 6: Tigerlily and Anu